Chapter 681: Die-Hard Fans!

After leaving the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection, Li Yi felt somewhat heavy-hearted.

The reason he had gone to the black market today, bought home appliances, and even made a special trip here to speak with his father-in-law wasn’t because he was idle, but because he didn’t want his father-in-law to be caught in the crossfire when the higher-ups came down hard.

Admittedly, given Jiang Shiying’s current position, it would be difficult for ordinary matters to affect him.

But this matter was different, because the impending incident was being dubbed the “First Case of Anti-Corruption Since Reform and Opening-Up,” and its impact would be immense.

Since the higher-ups intended to use this to establish their authority and intimidate the petty criminals, the number of people affected was indeed considerable. While it wouldn’t be accurate to say heads were rolling, there were certainly quite a few who would lose their official positions.

Furthermore, there was indeed a mole within the Guangdong Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection involved in this case. One misstep could drag his father-in-law into the scandal—something Li Yi was determined to avoid.

However, Li Yi was quite confident that with his own warning, coupled with his father-in-law’s years of political experience and skill, they would surely be able to turn danger into safety.

So, after leaving the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection, Li Yi composed himself and had Zhang Ziqiang drive straight to the Huang residence.

Upon learning that Li Yi had arrived, Chen Chuhong was overjoyed and immediately came out to greet him with her daughter, Xiao Min.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, the group made their way to the living room of the Huang residence.

When Li Yi told her that the purpose of his visit was to take her and her daughter back to Hong Kong Island, Chen Chuhong felt particularly happy, even a little excited.

Although her husband hadn’t said so explicitly, Chen Chuhong knew that while her stay in Guangzhou was due to the unstable situation on Hong Kong Island, it also served the purpose of using her as a hostage.

As for whose hostage she was to be, Chen Chuhong knew full well.

Now that her husband was asking her to return to Hong Kong—and had specifically asked Li Yi to escort her back—

This not only indicated that the crisis on Hong Kong Island had been resolved, but also that her husband had gained the approval of certain factions on the mainland; otherwise, they would never have let her and her daughter leave so easily.

After calming her excitement for a moment, Chen Chuhong asked, “Brother Yi, when do we leave?”

“It’s not set yet. I have to wait for Xiao Xue and the kids to arrive in Guangzhou, and then we’ll head to Hong Kong together!” Li Yi replied.

Chen Chuhong immediately replied with delight, “Are Little Xue, Yunrui, and Yunjin coming to Hong Kong too?”

“Yeah, since Xiao Xue is on break, I want to take her around Hong Kong. When we get there, you’ll have to show her the sights too!” Li Yi said.

“Of course…”

Just then, the sound of a car engine roared outside the Huang Mansion’s front gate, and a young man hurriedly walked in.

Upon seeing Li Yi in the living room, the young man exclaimed excitedly, “Mr. Li, it really is you!”

This was the second time Li Yi had met Chen Chuying. Seeing the look of excitement on his face, Li Yi was actually a bit taken aback.

What was wrong with this kid? Why did he act like he was meeting a celebrity? That level of fervor reminded Li Yi of a particular group—die-hard fans!

Li Yi had no idea that Chen Chuying truly regarded him as an idol.

Seeing the awkwardness on Li Yi’s face, Chen Chuhong hurriedly said, “Aying, you’re in your twenties now—can’t you act a little more mature?”

“Big Sis, I’m just so happy. I finally get to see Mr. Li again. I…”

Before her brother could finish, Chen Chuhong cut him off: “You’ve finished your business up north. From now on, you’ll be staying in Hong Kong Island, so you’ll have plenty of chances to see Brother Yi.”

“We’re heading back to Hong Kong Island soon. Help your sister pack up—we can talk about this later!”

Just then, Li Yi suddenly spoke up: “Sis-in-law, no need to rush with the packing. I have a few things I’d like to ask Chu Ying—would that be okay?”

“Of course… of course!” Chen Chuying replied eagerly.

“I know Old Huang entrusted you with the school construction project. I’m wondering how things are going—have those schools been built yet?” Li Yi asked.

“Not yet!”

Chen Chuying then explained, “According to the original plan, we intended to invest 5 million yuan to build 100 schools, including 79 elementary schools and 21 junior high schools. If we had followed that plan, the project would have been completed long ago.”

“But now the situation has changed significantly, which has caused the project to be delayed time and again, to the point where more than thirty schools still remain unfinished…”

Before Chen Chuying could finish, Li Yi cut in and asked, “What happened? Why has the project been delayed for so long?”

Chen Chuying smiled and said, “It’s nothing much. My brother-in-law just got a wild idea last August and allocated an additional 10 million yuan. Not only did he want me to build another 100 schools, but he also insisted that all the previously completed ones be upgraded—equipping them with libraries, dormitories, cafeterias, and concrete playgrounds.”

“Because of that, a lot of the projects that were already finished had to be redone, which is why they still aren’t finished even now!”

After hearing his explanation, Li Yi felt both surprised and touched.

Thinking back, last August was exactly when he and Old Huang had pulled off their epic sweep of the Hong Kong stock market—a move that netted Old Huang a staggering 1.5 billion Hong Kong dollars.

It must have been after making that money that he increased his donation—and yet he hadn’t had a clue about it.

He immediately turned his gaze to Chen Chuhong beside him.

Chen Chuhong naturally understood what Li Yi meant and immediately explained, “He says building schools is a way for me and Xiaomin to accumulate merit. Since we have the means, we should accumulate as much as possible.”

Li Yi nodded, glanced at the little girl taking her first tentative steps in the stroller nearby, and said, “That’s wonderful. With your acts of kindness, the little girl’s future path is sure to be exceptionally smooth!”

Hearing this, Chen Chuhong’s eyes lit up.

She knew what Li Yi was capable of. Since he’d said that, it meant her precious daughter shouldn’t face any major setbacks in her life.

“Brother Yi, Xiao Min will grow up smoothly, right?” Chen Chuhong asked.

“She will!”

Li Yi’s words were like a soothing balm, bringing Chen Chuhong great peace of mind.

In the past, Chen Chuhong had been ambitious and cunning; she had fought her way up from a girl from a poor family to become Huang Lixing’s publicly acknowledged partner—the woman of the boss.

But ever since her daughter was born, her mind had cleared of all those schemes; her only hope was that her daughter would grow up safe and sound.

For ordinary people, this wish might seem commonplace and easy to fulfill.

But for Chen Chuhong, it was no easy feat, because the child’s father was Huang Lixing—a man who moved in criminal circles.

Chen Chuhong knew all too well just how dangerous the triads in Hong Kong were; it was no exaggeration to say they lived with their heads on the line.

Even a triad boss could end up as a corpse in a sewer any day—such incidents happen almost daily on Hong Kong Island.

Once a triad boss is gone, his family is the first to suffer. After all, the low-level thugs have the chance to switch allegiances to a new kingpin, but they do not.

So Chen Chuhong was truly worried that one day, if Huang Lixing were found dead on the street, she and her daughter would become targets of revenge.

But with Li Yi’s definitive prediction, Chen Chuhong’s doubts vanished.

What she didn’t realize was that the Huang family’s standing on Hong Kong Island had undergone a complete transformation. Even relying solely on Old Huang’s influence on the island, few would dare to touch him.

Li Yi knew what Chen Chuhong was worried about, but he didn’t say much. After all, he’d be leaving soon—he’d let Old Huang explain these matters to her himself!

Afterward, Li Yi chatted with the Chen siblings for a while longer. It wasn’t until they had finished lunch that Chen Chuhong let him go.

What Li Yi didn’t know, however, was that over at the provincial government compound, Zhou Rui, a top official from State Security, had been waiting for him all morning.

At the same time, he was unaware that, due to his sudden intervention, the political waters of Guangdong Province were still churning with undercurrents, and the situation had become increasingly unpredictable…

……….