By the time he saw Zhou Rui off, it was already 5:30 p.m., and the sun had set outside.
As soon as he returned to the villa’s living room, Li Yi saw his older sister and mother-in-law, having changed into their evening attire, about to head out.
Seeing this, Li Yi immediately asked, “Mom, big sister, where are you two headed?”
“It’s almost dark. We’re planning to go to the grocery store to buy some groceries. Otherwise, with our whole big family gathered tonight, we won’t know what to eat!” said Ye Lingyun.
“Mom, you really shouldn’t go. The kitchen here at my dad’s place is just for show—there are only a few pairs of chopsticks and a few bowls, nothing else. We won’t be able to cook anything even if we buy groceries!” Li Yi said with a laugh.
“Then what are we going to do for dinner? Are there any restaurants nearby?” Ye Lingyun asked.
“There are! Besides, this is Guangzhou—restaurants are the one thing we’ve got plenty of here…”
Just as they were speaking, the sound of a car engine came from the main gate outside, followed immediately by the clanging of the villa’s heavy iron gate.
Soon, the familiar figure of Jiang Shiying came into view.
As soon as Jiang Shiying stepped into the courtyard, he saw the lights on inside the house. Through the window glass, he could make out the silhouettes of several people—it seemed there were quite a few of them.
He knew immediately that his wife, daughter, and son-in-law must have returned.
Recalling how he’d missed seeing his wife, daughter, and grandchildren the last time, he couldn’t help but quicken his pace!
Pushing open the door, he indeed found his wife, son-in-law, and the others there. He exclaimed happily, “When did you get back? Why didn’t you even give me a call?”
Li Yi smiled and said, “We’ve been back for a while. We just didn’t want to disturb you while you were working, so we didn’t call!”
“Don’t tell me you were worried about disturbing my work—I think you just forgot, you rascal!”
Jiang Shiying then scanned the crowd and asked, “Where are Xue’er and the kids?”
Ye Lingyun replied, “Yunrui and Yunjin are sleepy. Xue’er is upstairs putting them to bed…”
Just as they were speaking, soft footsteps could be heard coming from upstairs, and moments later, Jiang Xue appeared, straightening her clothes as she walked down the stairs.
Upon seeing Jiang Shiying, she said happily, “Father, you’re back?”
“I’m back. Are the kids asleep?”
“Yes, they’re asleep!”
“I’ll go check on Yunrui and Yunjin first!”
With that, Jiang Shiying hurried upstairs, not even pausing as he passed by Jiang Xue.
Watching her own father’s back disappear upstairs, Jiang Xue immediately turned to her mother and said, “Mom, why do I feel like Dad cares more about Yunrui and Yunjin than he does about me? He didn’t even stop to check on me just now.”
Ye Lingyun smiled and said, “You’re a mother yourself now—why are you still competing with the kids for attention?”
Li Yi also chuckled, “Isn’t it normal for a father to be close to his grandchildren? Haven’t you heard of the bond between grandparents and grandchildren?”
“I’ve heard of grandparents doting on their grandchildren, but Dad’s being way too obvious about it…”
Before she could finish, Li Yi chimed in, “That’s nothing. Look at my old man—he’s always scowling and glaring at me. If he’s really upset, he’ll whip me with a riding crop, giving you a real taste of what ‘a father’s love is as steady as a mountain’ means!”
“But look at him when he sees Yunrui and Yunjin—he treats them like they’re made of porcelain, afraid they’ll break if he holds them too tightly, or melt if he puts them in his mouth. Even if the two little ones pee on him, he’s still all smiles!”
Hearing this, everyone burst out laughing!
Jiang Xue was no exception. Don’t let Li Yi’s reputation as a formidable investment genius and business tycoon fool you—in front of his father-in-law, Li Shankui, he’s always just that good-for-nothing son, and his father never has a kind word to say to him!
Amid the laughter, Jiang Shiying finished checking on the children and came downstairs.
They chatted for a little while longer, then left Zhang Feng and Guo Mingyue behind to watch over the sleeping children at home.
The rest of the group headed out to a nearby restaurant for dinner…
……..
By the time they finished eating, it was already 7:00 p.m.!
Upon returning to the villa, Li Yi immediately called Zhang Ziqiang over and asked him to contact the airport to see if there were any flights back to Beijing the next day.
After all, it was already January 8th, and Third Sister and Long Zhanjun’s wedding was set for the 18th day of the 12th lunar month—January 12th. With only three or four days left, he needed to return to Beijing as soon as possible!
No sooner had he settled this matter than Li Yi was summoned to the study by his father-in-law.
Same place, same spot—only the person speaking to him had changed from Zhou Rui to his father-in-law, Jiang Shiying.
Jiang Shiying first poured Li Yi a cup of tea, then said, “I’ve heard from Comrade Zhou Rui about what happened to you in Hong Kong. You’ve really been through a lot. If future situations remain this dangerous, let them handle it themselves—don’t get personally involved!”
Li Yi smiled and said, “Did Comrade Zhou actually tell you about this? Isn’t he afraid of leaking classified information?”
“What do you mean, ‘leak information’? When it comes to matters involving you, he has to tell me. Otherwise, don’t even think about getting my help in the future!” Jiang Shiying said.
“Dad, it’s actually not as dangerous as you think. Everything is under control!” Li Yi said.
“Don’t be complacent. Even those who can swim drown!”
Li Yi nodded, then asked, “By the way, Father, has the matter in Hai County been resolved yet?”
Jiang Shiying sighed and shook his head. “Not yet. The situation there is far more complicated than we anticipated. Not only have local government officials dipped their hands into the smuggling trade to profit from it, but even the coastal anti-smuggling units, patrol officers, and a large number of ordinary people are taking risks for the sake of huge profits. You could say it’s rotten to the core—Hai County has completely turned into a smuggling kingdom!”
“Do you know what people call Hai County behind its back? ‘The Far East International Market.’ It’s a massive irony. And what’s even more ironic is that our provincial government was completely unaware of something this massive. What a dereliction of duty!”
“So what’s the current situation?” Li Yi asked.
“We’ve arrested quite a few suspects so far, but the interrogations aren’t making much progress. These people realized long ago that their crimes could be exposed at any moment, so they’ve colluded with one another and formed a ‘mutual defense pact.’ They’ve even gone to great lengths to cover up the evidence, which has made solving the case extremely difficult.”
Jiang Shiying continued, “Yet our superiors are demanding we solve the case within a deadline to provide an explanation to the local residents and our veteran comrades. So the pressure on us here at the Commission for Discipline Inspection is immense!”
Li Yi nodded and said, “No matter how cunning the fox, it can’t outwit the hunter. No matter how well these criminals hide, they’ll eventually slip up. Don’t worry too much!”
“That may be true, but the orders from above are non-negotiable. If we fail to solve the case by the deadline…”
At this point, Jiang Shiying changed the subject and said, “Never mind that. In any case, I have to thank you for this!”
“If it weren’t for your warning, we would have been severely reprimanded by higher-ups. In that case, the entire Guangdong Provincial Discipline Inspection System would have faced punishment, and as the top official, I certainly wouldn’t have been spared either!”
Li Yi shook his head and said, “Father, we’re family—let’s not beat around the bush. I may not know much about solving cases, but I do know that ‘the world bustles with people coming for profit; the world teems with people going for profit.’ Those people took such risks solely for financial gain. So when investigating, start by looking into their assets. Once you uncover massive amounts of wealth from unexplained sources, they won’t be able to deny it!”
“If you find nothing on them personally, then investigate the people close to them—their wives, parents, children, and so on. People like them trust no one but their own family!”
Upon hearing Li Yi’s words, Jiang Shiying’s eyes lit up instantly, and he immediately said, “You’re right. We’ll adjust the direction of our investigation tomorrow!”
Li Yi nodded and added, “Oh, and Dad, I’ve co-founded a chamber of commerce with some wealthy Chinese businessmen in Hong Kong. It’s called the Hong Kong Branch of the Global Chinese Chamber of Commerce, and I serve as the vice president.”
“I’ve agreed with them that after the New Year, they’ll organize a business delegation to come here for investment exploration. Their first stop will be Guangzhou. Please let the provincial authorities know so they can make preparations to receive them!”
“Oh, do you know who exactly is coming?” Jiang Shiying asked urgently.
“Virtually all of Hong Kong’s prominent Chinese business tycoons will be there. If we can retain these investors, Guangdong Province will attract at least 5 to 10 billion US dollars in foreign investment annually!”
“Whoa! That much?”
“Yes!”
“Alright, I’ll report the situation to the provincial authorities tomorrow!”
“Alright…”
………