Chapter 920: Under Surveillance

Beijing. The Jiang Residence!

In the study, Jiang Shiying looked at the old man sitting at the desk across from him, his face filled with shock.

According to his original itinerary, he was supposed to return to Guangzhou today, but as soon as his men arrived at the airport, they were stopped and told that the old man had ordered him to return immediately.

Taken aback, Jiang Shiying immediately returned home.

But as soon as he arrived, the old man assigned him an urgent task: to personally travel to Qingshan County and bring his son-in-law, Li Yi, back home.

Upon further inquiry, he learned that just half an hour earlier, a high-ranking official from the Elders’ Council had called the old man.

They reported that the Foreign Ministry had just received a diplomatic note from the British Empire, in which the other side expressed a desire to meet with his son-in-law, Li Yi, during the scheduled summit between the two heads of state.

The Foreign Ministry had never encountered such a request before and had no idea what the British Empire was thinking, so they reported the matter to the Council of Elders.

After deliberation, the Elders’ Council ultimately decided to grant the request and notified the Jiang family of the situation.

“Father, what’s going on with the British Empire? Their prime minister is visiting—fine—but why does he need to meet with Xiao Yi?” Jiang Shiying asked, looking puzzled.

Old Master Jiang paused briefly before replying, “According to the old commander, that Iron Lady likely has two objectives: one is to probe Xiao Yi’s background, and the other is to target that steel mill!”

“So, is the British Empire setting its sights on Xiao Yi?” Jiang Shiying frowned.

“Hmm, very likely. It’s said that the steel mill Xiao Yi acquired accounts for 70% of the British Empire’s total steel production capacity, and it’s also currently the company with the highest market value in the entire British Empire. With such a vital industry, they’re not going to let a foreigner control it!”

The old man continued, “Previously, they were tied up with the aftermath of the Falklands War and had no time for anything else. Now that they’ve finally freed up their hands, the Iron Lady’s visit aims to resolve the issue of Hong Kong’s sovereignty while also reclaiming control of that steel company!”

Jiang Shiying was exceptionally sharp-witted; with just a hint from the old man, he immediately grasped the crux of the matter.

For any nation, steel is an extremely important strategic resource, and the British Empire is clearly no exception.

However, since Li Yi’s reputation had spread far and wide, and rumors were circulating that the entire Republic of China stood behind him, the British Empire dared not resort to its usual underhanded tactics to seize the company by force.

The purpose of this meeting was to test whether Li Yi was indeed backed by China, and then decide what method to use to reclaim the steel company.

“Father, does that mean the higher-ups have agreed to let Little Yi meet with those people?” Jiang Shiying asked again.

“Yes,” the old man replied. “The Chief said that since the other side has specifically requested it, there’s no need for us to hide anything—there’s no harm in meeting them.”

“Will the higher-ups make Little Yi hand over control of that steel company?” Jiang Shiying asked with some concern.

“No. Times have changed. When it comes to Xiao Yi’s businesses, the higher-ups will do everything in their power to protect them—there’s no way they’ll make him hand them over!” Old Master Jiang said with certainty.

“Why?”

The old man replied immediately, “For one thing, Xiao Yi has made enormous contributions to foreign exchange earnings. Right now, he single-handedly accounts for nearly a third of the Foreign Exchange Bureau’s revenue. If you factor in the capital brought in by the Hong Kong businessmen who came to invest on the mainland because of him, that share rises to over half!”

“You could say Xiao Yi is the Foreign Exchange Bureau’s cash cow right now. His contributions are plain for all to see. If they were to go after his businesses, that would be ungrateful—it would be like burning the bridge after crossing it. The old leaders wouldn’t do something like that…”

Before he could finish, Jiang Shiying interjected, “Father, while what you say makes sense, nothing is absolute. After all, that steel company wields immense influence. It’s entirely possible that those in power have plans to use it to exert leverage over the British Empire!”

The old man chuckled and said, “You underestimate the Old Commander. Back when he led us in the revolution and fought the Japanese, that Iron Lady over in the British Isles was still playing in the mud. How could the Old Commander possibly use a single company to hold them over a barrel? That would be beneath him!”

“Besides, after the domestic private sector has gone through several ups and downs, many people’s confidence has been shaken. The higher-ups need role models like Xiao Yi. As long as there’s no fundamental shift in economic policy, they won’t touch him!”

“That puts my mind at ease!”

Then, changing the subject, Jiang Shiying said, “By the way, Dad, since this isn’t dangerous and it’s the higher-ups’ idea, couldn’t they just have them call that kid directly? Why do I have to go to Qing Shan County myself?”

“Heh, that’s all Old Chen’s idea!”

“Uncle Chen?”

“Right. Old Chen says that kid is as slippery as an eel. If we just notify him by phone, he might not come back. It’s best if you go in person and bring him back,” Old Master Jiang said.

“That shouldn’t be necessary. Xiao Yi is a kid with a good sense of the bigger picture…”

Before he could finish, Old Master Jiang laughed and said, “On this matter, I side with your Uncle Chen!”

“Father, don’t you trust Xiao Yi?” Jiang Shiying said with a hint of resentment.

“It’s not that I don’t trust him, but that kid clearly doesn’t want to get too involved with the political world. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have taken Xiao Xue and the kids to hide out in the countryside!”

Then the old man added, “Believe me, if that kid had gotten wind of this in advance, he’d have fled overseas without a second thought.”

“It wouldn’t come to that, would it?”

“It is. So just follow our plan on this one and make a personal trip to Qingshan County,” Old Master Jiang said.

“Alright, I’ll set out tomorrow!” Jiang Shiying replied.

“Hmm, take Lingyun with you when you go. She’s never been to Xiao Yi’s house—it’s unheard of for a mother to have never visited her in-laws’ home even after her children are married!” the old man instructed.

“Yes!”

Just then, Old Master Jiang changed the subject and added, “By the way, Long Ze came by last night. He said the organization had a talk with him and is planning to transfer him to a local post. What do you think?”

“I think it’s a good idea. Longze is already a full-level section chief. While staying in Beijing might make it easier for him to ‘break through’ (be promoted to deputy department level), he lacks experience working at the grassroots level—especially the experience of actually governing a region. That won’t be good for his future development. It’s not a bad idea for him to go out and gain some experience while he’s still young, but we need to think carefully about where he goes!” Jiang Shiying said.

“Hmm, that’s exactly what I was thinking. So this trip to Qingshan County isn’t just about bringing that good-for-nothing back—you’re also going there to get a feel for the place and assess the situation in Qingshan County!” Old Master Jiang said.

“Father, are you suggesting that Longze take up a post in Qingshan County?” Jiang Shiying asked, somewhat surprised.

“That’s the idea!”

“Father, I’ve looked into Qing Shan County before. It’s vast and sparsely populated, with barren mountains and treacherous waters—it’s notorious for its poverty. If Long Ze takes a post there, it’ll be hard for him to achieve anything. He’d be better off going to Pengcheng to assist Long Yin!” Jiang Shiying said.

“What difference would it make if he went to help Long Yin compared to staying in the capital? Only by going to a poor place can he truly be put to the test!”

The old man then added, “Besides, if Long Ze really goes to Qing Shan County, he might just have a chance. Don’t forget that Qing Shan County is Xiao Yi’s hometown!”

“Father, are you suggesting that Xiao Yi help Long Ze…”

Before Jiang Shiying could finish, the old man cut him off: “That’s all for later. Go take a look at the place first. Whether he goes or not depends on Long Ze.”

“Besides, even if Long Ze does decide to go, whether he asks Xiao Yi for help—and whether Xiao Yi agrees to help him—is entirely up to them. As elders, none of us should interfere in this matter!”

“Yes!”

“Hmm, go make the arrangements. Bring that kid back as soon as possible—many of our old comrades are waiting for news!”

“Got it!”

At that moment, Li Yi, who was still far away in Nianzishan Village, had no idea that not only had a whole bunch of bigwigs back home set their sights on him, but even the famed Iron Lady of the British Isles had taken an interest in him…

………

PS: My cousin got married these past few days, and Old Cang has been running around like crazy—helping with the wedding, shuttling people back and forth, and keeping track of the gift registry!

Thankfully, it’s finally over today, and updates will resume tomorrow!