Second meeting，Qian Zhenqian

Gu Hao looked at his granddaughter with some indulgence and pretended to scold her. "Did you hear that? Hurry up and thank Uncle Li and Kent!"

Gu Lingling, still fuming, was suddenly overcome with joy, completely stunned by the unexpected turn of events. She quickly, with excitement, said, "Thank you, Uncle Li, and thank you, Kent!"

Li Wanfeng nodded. "Mentor, I'll come by in a couple of days to pick up Lingling."

Gu Hao nodded in response and accompanied Gu Lingling to the door, watching the car leave.

"Lingling," Gu Hao said helplessly. "Once you're outside, stay close to Uncle Li and don't cause trouble. Otherwise, I won't let you off the hook."

Gu Lingling giggled. "Don't worry, Grandpa. I'll be good!"

...

On the car, Li Wanfeng asked curiously, "Kent, how did you and Lingling get along? I saw both of you doing your own thing, but then you started speaking up for her."

Kent let out a helpless chuckle. "Lingling is still young, a bit spoiled. When I first refused to take her to the wild, she ignored me. But then, seeing her so pitiful, I couldn't help but think of myself back then. I also wanted to see the outside world but didn't have the chance, so I softened up."

Li Wanfeng nodded, feeling a bit guilty. He had become Kent's guardian but hadn't really done much for him, except for rescuing him from the police station once.

"Kent, actually, there's something I haven't told you."

"What is it?" Kent asked, surprised.

"I've talked about your mother, but I haven't told you about your father. Do you want to know what kind of person your father was?" Li Wanfeng asked, with a nostalgic expression.

"Yes," Kent nodded eagerly.

He had always thought that the conflicts and grudges of the previous generation had nothing to do with him as a transmigrator. But after hearing about them, he found the story intriguing and captivating.

Li Wanfeng couldn't help but pull out a cigarette, which was the first time Kent had seen him smoke.

"Your father, his name was Wang Sheng. He was from Lightstone City, and his family was very poor, but he worked hard and had great grades. After your mom, Wan'er, and I were no longer in the same class in high school, I became close with a rich young lady. Meanwhile, your father was my good buddy, and we got along very well. I even confided in him about my relationship with Wan'er."

"When I couldn't get back with Wan'er, your dad stepped up. He told me, 'Let me take care of Wan'er for you.'"

"At that time, I was completely disheartened. Your dad was one of my closest friends. In school, he was just as outstanding as me—one of the school's top figures. Many rich girls liked him, but he never acted on it. He was a traditional man who valued family. So, I agreed to his offer, almost without thinking."

"After graduation, I went to Earthstar University, and your dad got the opportunity too. But he gave it up. Wan'er only wanted a simple life, so he stayed behind to be with her, taking on the responsibility of caring for the whole family and Wan'er."

"Though your dad was excellent in school, it's hard to make money in society. Eventually, he became a mercenary. After several years of hard work, he made some achievements and started a family with your mom. By the time I came back, you had already been born."

Kent listened quietly, deeply moved by what he had heard. He respected and admired his father, Wang Sheng—he was undoubtedly a real man.

After a moment of silence, Kent couldn't help but ask, "Uncle Li, it seems like you've been tangled up with my parents for quite a long time. But what about you? Have you ever met someone you loved?"

Kent had never really understood if Li Wanfeng had ever married or had children, as he never mentioned it.

Li Wanfeng nodded, then shook his head. "I did. My life is actually pretty good now. I have a beautiful wife and a daughter who's three years younger than you."

"Oh, in that case, I'll have to meet Aunt and my little sister sometime," Kent said.

...

The two continued talking about family matters, then got out of the car to visit an old friend.

Interestingly, the fifth old friend they visited happened to be someone Kent knew as well.

His name was Qian Zhenqian, a senior who graduated two years before Li Wanfeng. While at school, Qian Zhenqian had taken good care of Li Wanfeng, and he was also a Four-Star Patrol Officer.

However, Qian Zhenqian was a Patrol Officer in Earthstar City, while Li Wanfeng worked in Lightstone City.

When Qian Zhenqian saw Kent, he was a bit surprised, but he quickly reacted, patting Kent on the shoulder with a smile. "So, you weren't lying after all."

Kent quickly responded, "How could I lie about something like this? Senior Qian, you really don't trust me."

Qian Zhenqian smiled slightly. "Just teasing you."

Although Qian Zhenqian was a somewhat serious middle-aged man, Kent had interacted with him before and was at ease around him. The conversation between Qian Zhenqian and Li Wanfeng didn't avoid Kent.

"Kent, I saw the news. You really did something big this time. That Red Fire Mine is extremely valuable, and many people are eyeing it. The auction might not go smoothly," Qian Zhenqian said seriously.

Kent's expression changed. "Please, Uncle Qian, share your advice."

Qian Zhenqian replied, "I have some influence in this area and can help you. Don't worry about any compensation. After all, we still haven't settled the score from last time."

Kent suddenly remembered, slapping his head. "Ah, I almost forgot. But this isn't entirely my fault. You left after taking the benefits, Uncle Qian."

Li Wanfeng, listening from the side, was confused, so he turned to Kent with a questioning look.

Kent immediately explained the incident where they had both stolen a treasure from the Fire Dragon's lair, making Li Wanfeng chuckle helplessly.

"You promised to help me hatch the Fire Dragon Egg, but three months have passed and I haven't seen you around," Qian Zhenqian said with some grievance.

Kent didn't want to take the blame, quickly saying, "But Uncle Qian, you promised to sell me the first six layers of the Storm Battle Art at an 80% discount!"

"Well... I didn't forget about that, but you didn't come to me for it. Who can I blame?" Qian Zhenqian shot Kent a stern look.

Realizing he had a point, Kent thought for a moment and said, "Alright, today I'll help Uncle Qian hatch the Fire Dragon Egg."

In fact, after Qian Zhenqian had obtained the Fire Dragon Egg, he didn't believe in Kent's abilities as a Beastmaster. He had gone to several Beastmasters privately, but all attempts failed. Only recently did one Beastmaster return the egg, having been unable to hatch it.

That was when Qian Zhenqian realized the Fire Dragon Egg wasn't as easy to hatch as he had thought. He recalled Kent's earlier words and, while unsure if Kent had exaggerated, saw no better option and decided to give it a shot. To his surprise, Kent came knocking on his door first, and now, he was finally bringing it up.

"This is what you promised, Kent. You've got to help me hatch it," Qian Zhenqian emphasized.