Chapter 342: I Need to Talk to You!

Ning City. Municipal Bureau!

Late at night, all was quiet!

Li Yi had just finished the bowl of boiled noodles Wang Anguo had made for him, and then fell into a deep sleep.

But over in the Criminal Investigation Division office, Wang Anguo was in a state of turmoil. Although Li Yi’s words had been simple, if anyone else had said them, he certainly wouldn’t have taken them seriously.

But Wang Anguo knew Li Yi’s capabilities. Since he had said that, trouble was surely on the horizon, and he couldn’t afford to be complacent.

Moreover, he had clearly sensed that something was amiss lately. Since the beginning of spring this year, he had noticed that public order had deteriorated significantly compared to the past.

In previous years, the area had gone years without a single serious crime; even a fight resulting in injury could be considered a major case, and murder or arson were virtually unheard of.

But in just the past six months, he had handled multiple major cases: cases involving roaming bandits, child abductions, gold thefts, a body hidden in an oil drum, and the attempted murder of Hong Kong tycoon Huang Lixing and his wife.

Such a cluster of serious crimes occurring all at once was clearly no coincidence.

Moreover, according to reports from the provincial bureau, public order was rapidly deteriorating not only in Ning City but throughout the entire province of Saibei—and even nationwide—with serious crimes occurring with alarming frequency.

Although the exact cause remains unknown, these developments have put Wang Anguo on high alert.

Recalling what Li Yi had said, he sought out the captain in charge of public security that very night and ordered him to step up patrols in the city.

At the same time, he gathered his team and devised a plan to reach out to scattered herders in the pastoral areas to prevent any accidents.

Li Yi, however, paid little attention to these matters. He had merely recalled a series of violent crimes targeting herders that had occurred in the city toward the end of the year and felt compelled to issue a reminder.

Since the incidents hadn’t occurred yet, he didn’t feel it was appropriate to say more.

As for the fate of those herders, he left it entirely in Wang Anguo’s capable hands.

The night passed without incident. Early the next morning, just as Li Yi was fast asleep, a frantic knock suddenly sounded outside his room.

Still half-asleep, Li Yi scrambled out of bed, opened the door, and saw Wang Anguo standing there holding a lunchbox.

“Brother Li Yi, hurry up and wash up and eat—the comrades from the bureau are about to set out!” Wang Anguo said.

Hearing this, Li Yi was fully awake.

He immediately got dressed, then followed Wang Anguo’s instructions to the communal washroom to splash some water on his face.

Back in the room, after devouring the meat buns Wang Anguo had brought, he picked up his bags and followed Wang Anguo out to the municipal bureau’s courtyard.

By then, a jeep in the courtyard had already started up; the engine was humming, and black smoke was billowing from the exhaust, filling the air with the smell of carbon monoxide.

Wang Anguo loaded the items into the car, then instructed the driver to make sure Li Yi was taken to Nianzishan Village before waving them off!

…….

At 11:00 a.m., after more than three hours of driving at high speed, the jeep finally arrived at Nianzishan Village!

The village was just as peaceful and serene as when Li Yi had left; it seemed nothing had changed!

Li Yi didn’t return to the old house; instead, he had Comrade Zhang, the driver, take him straight to the new house.

At the Li family’s new home, Tang Xue was sitting on the kang, reading a story to her eldest nephew, Zhang Ning, while her second sister, Li Lan, was busy at the stove. The room was filled with the rich aroma of cooking meat.

“Mommy, when will the meat be ready? Ningning is hungry!”

Hearing her son’s babyish voice, Li Lan smiled and said, “That’s not hunger—you’re just craving it!”

Tang Xue laughed and said, “It’s perfectly normal for a child to want meat. I’ve been craving it myself lately!”

“Hehe, Xiao Xue, you’re different. You’re eating for three people right now, so of course you want something nutritious that’ll keep you full!” Li Lan said with a laugh.

“I just think I’m craving it…”

Just then, little Zhang Ning suddenly pointed out the window and shouted, “A big car… there’s a big car…”

Tang Xue and Li Lan looked in the direction Zhang Ning was pointing and sure enough, saw a jeep parked outside the gate. Both of them were startled.

Whether it was because the courtyard was so secluded or the wind outside was so strong, they hadn’t heard the sound of the car at all.

“Xiao Xue, stay on the kang. I’ll go take a look!”

With that, she wrapped her headscarf around her head and went outside.

As soon as she stepped outside, she saw her younger brother, Li Yi, getting out of the car, with a man in a police uniform helping him carry his things.

Li Lan was both surprised and delighted; she immediately ran over to help.

“You little rascal, why did you come back without a word? You didn’t even send a message!”

“Sis, I’ll talk to you in a minute!”

Then, Li Yi turned to the driver, Xiao Zhang, and said, “Comrade Zhang, it’s almost noon. Let’s grab a bite to eat before heading to the county seat!”

Xiao Zhang shook his head and said, “No, thanks. I’m still busy. Maybe next time!”

With that, he quickly got back in the car, waved to Li Yi, and drove off toward Qingshan County!

After watching the jeep drive away, Li Yi picked up the various gifts he’d bought and followed his second older sister into the house.

Inside, Tang Xue had already spotted Li Yi returning and was overjoyed.

She had assumed that since Li Yi had gone to Beijing, it would take him at least ten days or half a month to return, so she was surprised he was back so soon.

As soon as Li Yi walked in, she couldn’t help but ask, “Didn’t you say you were going to wait until you sold all the dried goods before coming back?”

“Hehe, something came up, so I came back!” Li Yi replied.

“What’s so urgent?” Tang Xue asked curiously.

“Nothing much. I’ll tell you in a bit!”

Then Li Yi sniffed the air and asked, “What’s simmering in the pot? It smells so good.”

It was better to discuss this sort of thing privately with Tang Xue. It wasn’t that Li Yi didn’t trust his second sister, but since this matter involved Tang Xue’s privacy, it was best to talk about it when the two of them were alone together.

“Meat, meat—a big rooster!” Zhang Ning replied, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

Li Yi scooped up the little one and asked, “Ningning, do you want to eat a big rooster?”

“Yes! Rooster is so yummy. Ningning wants a big chicken drumstick!”

“Hahaha, okay, in a minute Uncle will tear off a big chicken leg for you…”

Before he could finish, Second Sister chimed in with a laugh, “There aren’t any whole chicken legs left—they’ve all been chopped up!”

“Then I’ll put one together for Ningning!” Li Yi said.

Hearing this, everyone couldn’t help but laugh.

Knowing that Li Yi had come all this way and was probably starving, Second Sister immediately set the table and brought out the steamed rice.

She then tasted the chicken in the pot and found it had already fallen apart.

She immediately scooped half of the chicken and mushroom stew into a serving bowl and called out to Li Yi and Tang Xue to come eat.

Second Sister was a good cook; the chicken and mushroom stew was tender, flavorful, and exceptionally aromatic.

Or perhaps Li Yi was genuinely hungry; he managed to polish off two large bowls of rice with the dish.

After the meal, Second Sister cleared away the bowls and chopsticks, then transferred the remaining chicken and mushrooms from the pot to another bowl.

She then said, “You two take a break. I’ll go deliver this food to the old house first!”

“Sure!” Li Yi replied immediately.

“Ningning, do you want to go with Mom, or stay with Uncle and Aunt?”

“I’ll go with Mom!”

“Alright!”

Second Sister then quickly dressed the little one in warm clothes, put a woolen hat on her head, and wrapped a thick scarf around her neck.

Only then did she pick up little Zhang Ning, carry the small bowl of chicken and mushroom stew in a cloth basket, and leave the bridal chamber.

After Second Sister left, Li Yi turned to Tang Xue and said, “Xiao Xue, there’s something I need to talk to you about!”

……