Looking at the low mood of the people at the table, Hu Wenjun and Shangxing exchanged a glance. They wanted to give Ye Jiumu a definite answer to his question, but they were unable to do so because they were just as confused.

Hu Wenjun flicked his finger, which was burning with flames, to light the cigarette in his mouth. After a while, he sighed: "We've known each other for quite some time, and you are considered key investigators in the department. I heard Weidong bought himself an insurance policy? Well, let me not hide from you that after this year, I also bought insurance for myself and my whole family. It's better than nothing. When the time comes, besides the department's condolence money, there will be an extra expense for the family."

Everyone understood the underlying meaning in Hu Wenjun's words. After a long silence, Pei Yan turned sideways and asked, "Is there going to be a war?"

Hu Wenjun leaned back on the chair, looked at the star-filled sky above, and said with a hint of smoke, "For decades, the explorations of other planes have never stopped. From this recent plane raid, the Plane Barrier still exists. If other planes invade on a large scale, spatial collapse effects will still impact their world."

"Does that mean there won't be a war?" Ye Jiumu breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this and pursued further.

Shangxing downed the fruit wine in his glass and interjected: "Hard to say, there's no shortage of madmen in any world. The possibility of someone going all-in and dragging everyone down is not out of the question. Whether a war breaks out in the future is beyond what we little people can decide. If war does happen, the only choice we can make is whether to resist or run away."

Listening to the sizzling of the barbecue, the table fell silent again, until a sudden sucking sound broke the quiet. Everyone turned to look, only to see Pei Yan picking up the oysters newly placed on the table and eating them one after another.

"Thinking so much for what? Take one step at a time, soldiers will counter when they come, water will obstruct when it flows. Whoever doesn't let my family, friends, or me live well, I won't let him have it easy, regardless of whether it's other planes or some nonsense divine appetite!" Seeing everyone looking at him, Pei Yan calmly piled the empty oyster shells high and stated expressionlessly.

"Pei Yan is right. Take one step at a time! Right now, discussing it is just worrying ourselves with imaginary fears! Come!" Ye Jiumu said while raising his beer bottle toward Pei Yan.

As the two clink beer bottles, the atmosphere at the table began to revive. Jiang Feiyang moved the remaining oysters in front of Pei Yan towards Wang Wenze jokingly: "Why is a single dog like you eating so many oysters, supplementing for whom? Let Brother Wang have some to see this pale face, looks like those kidneys might be failing."

"Old Jiang knows how to care for people. I do need some supplement, can't quite withstand it!" Wang Wenze, unabashed and grinning, dodged the conch shell Liang Qian threw at him blushingly, and began slurping the oysters.

Next to Liang Qian, Xia Yu held a slender cigarette and said somewhat regretfully: "What a pity, now it's almost the end of June. Looking at this situation, the fighting tournament won't take place this year."

"What fighting tournament?" Pei Yan, chewing on squid, turned his head to ask Hu Wenjun beside him.

"Didn't I mention it when we were in the Golden Eagle Team? The Investigations Bureau and the Army hold a fighting tournament every three years! Is this year the one?" Hu Wenjun, slightly tipsy, calculated with his fingers.

Xia Yu leaned her head on Liang Qian's shoulder and said gloomily: "It is this year. Three years ago, I had just joined and wasn't qualified to participate, only as a spectator. I thought it would be held this year; I've prepared for it for a long time."

Pei Yan disinterestedly replied: "It's just a fighting tournament! What's there to look forward to?"

"The prize for the top three is quite high, and there are special rewards from the department afterwards. They're good things made by the Equipment Department, which can't be obtained through regular tasks." Wang Wenze put down the roasted kidney in his hand and leaned in to say.

Pei Yan's eyes lit up upon hearing the word prize, and he curiously asked: "How much?" When Wang Wenze whispered a few numbers in his ear, he was stunned: "So much?"

"Yes, those who stand out among the many abilities in the two departments are definitely people with outstanding capabilities, naturally viewed more highly and valued by the state."

Now, Pei Yan's mind was racing, and the equipment Wang Wenze mentioned also led him to imagine it included in his plans. He couldn't help but ponder what rank he might get if such a tournament were truly held.

Late at night, the clamor around the table finally ceased. Shangxing and Hu Wenjun nudged the drunk but still wanting to stay behind to help clean up the mess team members upstairs to rest, leaving the two downstairs to tidy up.

Perhaps he drank a little too much, Pei Yan staggered into the room after being pushed by someone. He collapsed onto the bed, removed his clothes chaotically and, his eyes shut, was soon snoring.

He wasn't sure how long he slept; in a daze, he felt as though someone was nudging his body. Annoyed, he turned over and tried to ignore it, but gradually the nudging frequency decreased.

Just as he thought it was a prank by Wang Wenze and others, prepared to turn over to sleep and deal with them when awake, a cold fingertip traced slowly down his bare back from top to bottom.

This tracing made Pei Yan open his eyes promptly. The reaction was so quick because he knew Wang Wenze wouldn't make such a ridiculous prank; moreover, the movement of the fingertip caused his inner origin to surge outward crazily!

Rolling to the side, he turned over and sat up, and under the moonlight, a stunning girl was sitting by the bed, giggling while staring at him with big eyes.

Pei Yan then looked around, the bedroom door was closed tightly. The room he was sleeping in was a suite, with Wang Wenze staying outside. The clock at the bedside showed two o'clock in the morning, meaning he had slept for barely more than an hour.

"Who are you? What did you do to my friends?" Pei Yan twisted his neck, stiff from sleep, with arcs of electricity sparking in his palm as he spoke warily.

The girl reverted from her usual aloofness, playfully blinked at Pei Yan: "Oh! You gained a new ability! That was unexpected, seems you are really valued by the Investigation Bureau! Don't you remember me?" Think carefully, we've had a past encounter, haven't we?"

Pei Yan squinted, studying the girl for quite a while. The more he looked, the more familiar she seemed. He was sure he'd seen her before but couldn't exactly remember where.

"Seems losing one eye has affected your memory too, so let me remind you. During New Year when your consciousness was out of body?" The girl changed posture, leaned forward supporting her chin with her hand, and smilingly reminded.

Upon hearing this, Pei Yan's mind buzzed, immediately recalling the girl from the mysterious underground base he saw in the cultivation chamber before meeting Mu Fanchen when his consciousness was out of body!

"Oh, it's you! I couldn't recognize you with clothes on!" Suddenly realizing, Pei Yan instinctively blurted out after observing her again carefully.

Upon hearing this, the girl's once cheerful face abruptly darkened, transforming back to icy coldness!