Chapter 752: Xiaoya Searches for Her Mother!

Yong County. Movie Theater!

Just as Li Yi was about to get in line to buy movie tickets, a little girl walked up to him and said timidly, “Are… are you Brother Li Yi?”

Li Yi took a close look at the little girl in front of him. She was about ten or eleven years old, with a rather delicate and pretty face, but she was thin and frail, and her sallow, small face clearly showed signs of malnutrition.

Moreover, in such cold weather, the clothes she wore looked very thin and were patched up all over, causing her to shiver from time to time as she stood before Li Yi.

“Who are you? Have we met before? How do you know my name?”

As he spoke, Li Yi looked at the girl again, but she still seemed unfamiliar to him. He searched his memory but couldn’t recall where he had seen her before.

“I… I’m Xiaodie. I met you before when I was with Brother Dajun…”

“Dajun… Are you talking about Long Zhanjun? Are you one of his people?” Li Yi asked.

“Yeah, I used to follow Big Brother Dajun!”

“Huh? As far as I know, Dajun brought all his men to the capital. Why didn’t you go?” Li Yi asked, puzzled.

Xiaodie hurriedly explained, “My mom still needs me to look after my little brother and sister. She wouldn’t let me go to the capital with Big Brother Dajun.”

“Besides, I’m still a bit young. Big Brother Dajun told me to stay here and finish school first. He said he’d come back to get me after I graduate from middle school!”

“I see. So, is there something you need from me, or are you facing some trouble?”

Since these were the child soldiers Long Zhanjun had brought along before, Li Yi didn’t mind helping them if they truly needed it.

For one thing, he knew the backgrounds of the child soldiers Long Zhanjun had led were all quite tragic—either orphans with no one to take them in, or children from single-parent families. If he could help, he would.

Secondly, when he and Jiang Xue had come here last time, these child soldiers had been a great help.

Otherwise, relying solely on the two of them, they might not have been able to uncover the truth about Jiang Xue’s background.

Xiao Die fell silent for a moment, then mustered her courage and asked, “Is Big Brother Dajun still not coming back?”

“He probably won’t be coming back!”

Hearing this, Xiaodie’s eyes instantly filled with disappointment and a faint sadness.

“What’s wrong? Is there something you need to tell him? I can pass it on to him!” Li Yi said softly.

Hearing this, hope reignited in Xiaodie’s eyes.

“Brother Li Yi, could you please pass a message to Brother Dajun for me? Just tell him that Sanlaizi and the others have started bullying us again!”

“Oh, who exactly is this San Laizi? Why does he pick on you guys?” Li Yi asked.

“San Laizi and his crew are just a bunch of local thugs. Back when we used to sell sunflower seeds and peanuts here, he’d always steal our stuff and money. But after Big Jun beat him up a few times, he never dared to pick on us again!”

The little girl continued, “But after Big Jun and Mudskipper went to the capital, San Laizi and his gang started picking on us again…”

Just as she was speaking, a girl’s cry suddenly rang out from nearby.

Hearing the sound, Xiaodie’s expression changed, and she immediately turned and ran toward the cinema entrance.

Seeing this, Li Yi immediately grabbed Zhang Ziqiang and followed her.

After just a few steps, they reached the entrance and saw a thug in his twenties, accompanied by several teenagers around seventeen or eighteen, surrounding Xiaodie and another little girl of about seven or eight. One of the thugs was trying to snatch a cloth bag from the younger girl’s hands.

The two girls cried and pleaded, refusing to let go.

Although a dozen or so men and women had gathered around to watch the spectacle, not a single person stepped forward to intervene.

Seeing that the two girls were absolutely refusing to let go, the thug who had initiated the scuffle was instantly enraged and slapped the girl across the face.

“Smack!”

The slap sent the younger girl tumbling to the ground, and the small cloth bag in her hand flew out of her grasp.

The sunflower seeds inside spilled out, scattering all over the ground.

The girl began to cry even harder, then stumbled forward to gather up the dirty sunflower seeds, completely oblivious to the swelling on her face.

But the thug showed no mercy and was about to lay his hands on Xiaodie.

Seeing this, Li Yi immediately shouted, “Stop!”

Hearing the shout, the onlookers automatically parted to make a path, and Li Yi and his companions quickly made their way to Xiaodie’s side.

“Kid, this has nothing to do with you. Mind your own business…”

“Smack!”

Before the thug could finish his sentence, Li Yi slapped him hard across the face, sending him stumbling backward several steps.

At the same time, his right cheek swelled up just as quickly as the young girl’s had.

Seeing his underling get hit, the leader of the thugs immediately stepped forward, cursing at Li Yi: “Who the hell are you? How dare you meddle in our business? Are you tired of living…?”

Before the guy could finish, Li Yi turned to Zhang Ziqiang beside him and said, “He’s got a foul mouth. You handle him!”

With that, he strode toward Xiaodie and the young girl.

“What the hell are you playing at, you big shot? Give me a break…”

“Thud!”

“Ah… ah…”

In the blink of an eye, four or five thugs were all knocked to the ground, letting out agonized screams.

It all happened so fast that the onlookers didn’t even have time to figure out what was going on before the bullies who usually picked on people were all lying on the ground.

Li Yi didn’t even bother with those jerks. He walked over to Xiaodie and the others, helped the little girl to her feet first, and asked, “Are you dizzy? Do you want to go to the hospital?”

Don’t let the fact that the little girl only took a slap fool you—she’s so young, and that thug was pretty strong. That single slap could easily have caused a concussion or hearing damage.

“I… I’m not dizzy. I don’t want to go to the hospital…”

As she spoke, the little girl tried to pick up her sunflower seeds again, but Li Yi stopped her.

“Don’t pick them up—they’re all dirty now!”

“But… but…”

As she spoke, tears welled up in her eyes; it was clear that the sunflower seeds in that little cloth bag meant a lot to her.

Li Yi immediately pulled two yuan out of his pocket, handed it to the little girl, and said gently, “Big brother will buy those sunflower seeds for you!”

The little girl looked at the money in Li Yi’s hand, her throat involuntarily tightening, but she still shook her head and said, “I can’t take your money. My mom will get mad if she finds out!”

Just then, Jiang Xue, Ye Lingyun, and the others caught up. Seeing the two girls in such a pitiful state, they all came over to help.

Zhang Ziqiang, having finished his work, also walked over and asked, “What should we do with these guys?”

Li Yi shot the thugs a disgusted look, then turned to Yang Zhiwen and said, “Zhiwen, take these bastards to the county police station. Tell Captain Xiao to lock them up for ten days or so!”

“Yes, sir!”

With that, Yang Zhiwen immediately stepped forward, grabbed the ringleader by the collar, and ordered the others to follow.

Then, the group headed toward the nearby county police station, wailing all the way!

After Yang Zhiwen had escorted the thugs away, Li Yi had Jiang Xue and his mother-in-law examine the two young girls to see if they had any other injuries.

Fortunately, they had intervened in time; Xiaodie hadn’t been injured, and the one named Xiaoya only had a swollen face.

Other than that, there were no other visible injuries.

Just as Li Yi was considering how to take care of the two young girls, the girl named Xiaoya suddenly knelt before him and said, “Big brother, my mom is missing. Can you help me find her?”

Find her mother?

Hearing this, Li Yi and the others were all taken aback…

…….

By the time Li Yi and Zhang Ziqiang returned to the guesthouse, it was already 2:00 PM!

However, Jiang Xue and his mother-in-law hadn’t taken a nap; instead, they were chatting idly while waiting for Li Yi.

Seeing Li Yi return, Jiang Xue immediately asked anxiously, “How did the investigation go? How did they get out of jail so quickly?”

Li Yi didn’t hold anything back and immediately recounted the information he’d gathered from Xiao Zhanwu.

Upon learning that Tang Bing had actually been released early by reporting her own older brother, Tang Lei, Jiang Xue was completely stunned.

Others might not know how Tang Lei treated Tang Bing, but she certainly did.

From childhood onward, Tang Lei had truly treated his younger sister Tang Bing like a precious treasure, doting on her endlessly. If there was something delicious to eat, he would even save it for her even if it meant going without himself.

There was a time when Jiang Xue felt both envious and jealous of this. After all, she was Tang Lei’s sister too—so why did he only favor Tang Bing?

It wasn’t until she later learned the truth about her origins that she finally stopped dwelling on the matter.

But what she never could have imagined was that when disaster struck, the first person to turn on Tang Lei was the very sister he loved most. Truly… karma never fails!

Meanwhile, Ye Lingyun, who had been listening to the whole story, couldn’t help but sigh inwardly at the cruelty of that woman named Tang Bing—but more than anything, she felt a sense of relief.

She was relieved that the Tang family hadn’t raised her Xue’er as their own biological daughter. Although life had been a bit tough, at least they hadn’t spoiled her.

Judging by the behavior of the Tang family’s other two children, that couple’s parenting methods were clearly deeply flawed. The fact that their daughter had managed to retain her kindness and integrity in such an environment was nothing short of a miracle.

After a long while, Ye Lingyun finally spoke up: “Xiao Yi, how do you plan to handle this?”

“I… I haven’t decided yet!”

No sooner had he finished speaking than Ye Lingyun cut in, “Mother knows you’re not willing to let this go, but since those two were released early through proper channels after receiving a sentence reduction, we shouldn’t get involved in this!”

Jiang Xue glanced at her mother, then at Li Yi, before clenching her teeth and saying, “Mother’s right. We’re just here to accompany her on a visit; there’s no need to stir up trouble over these strangers. Don’t you agree?”

Li Yi glanced at his wife. Although she said this, the undisguised loathing on her face when she mentioned those two moments ago was plain to see.

Clearly, she despised Tang Bing and Tan Cheng, and found it hard to accept that they’d been released early.

However, to prevent him from doing something foolish in the heat of the moment—and to avoid upsetting her mother—she had forced herself to say these insincere words.

Li Yi smiled and said, “Don’t worry. I won’t risk my future just to get back at those two disgusting scumbags!”

“That’s good. I know you’re a sensible, good boy. Don’t let anger cloud your judgment!” Ye Lingyun said.

Li Yi really wanted to tell his mother-in-law how those bastards had driven her daughter to her death in his previous life, but he realized there was no point in bringing it up. In the end, he could only nod.

Just then, Jiang Xue suddenly changed the subject. “Let’s not talk about those irrelevant people and things anymore. What should we do this afternoon? We can’t just stay cooped up in the guesthouse, can we?”

“Why don’t we go take a look at the textile factory?” Ye Lingyun suggested.

Li Yi immediately replied, “Mom, the textile mill is a bit far from the county seat, and it’s getting late today. Why don’t I make some preparations, and we’ll go there tomorrow?”

“Sounds good!”

Jiang Xue suddenly said, “Then why don’t we go take a walk around the Supply and Marketing Cooperative? It’s always so lively there!”

“Sure!”

The group wasted no time. They quickly got dressed and, led by Jiang Xue, headed straight for the Supply and Marketing Cooperative in the center of the county town.

The guesthouse wasn’t far from the supply and marketing cooperative—just four or five hundred meters away—so they arrived in no time.

Just as Jiang Xue had said, it was indeed bustling.

Even though the temperature outside was well below freezing today, the entrance to the Supply and Marketing Cooperative was still packed with all kinds of vehicles—ox carts, horse-drawn carriages, donkey carts, bicycles, and tractors.

In addition, near the roadside, there were quite a few people gathered in small groups, though it was unclear what they were doing.

Upon closer inspection, it turned out that the crowds were gathered around small street stalls—some selling popcorn, others ice cream and candied hawthorn.

Ever since the authorities permitted certain individuals to engage in small-scale trading, many county towns across the country have gradually relaxed their regulations in this regard. Street vendors and black-market transactions that once operated in the shadows have now gradually come out into the open.

As for the county’s public security and industrial and commercial authorities, they mostly turn a blind eye to such activities and don’t take them too seriously.

“Look, they have candied hawthorn!”

Then Jiang Xue suddenly looked at Ye Lingyun and said, “Mom, can you buy me a skewer of candied hawthorn?”

“Sure, but aren’t you afraid of getting an upset stomach from eating candied hawthorn on such a cold day?” Ye Lingyun said with a smile.

“I won’t, Mom. Please buy me a skewer, okay?”

Hearing her daughter’s pleading voice, Ye Lingyun immediately replied, “Sure, I’ll buy you one!”

With that, Ye Lingyun walked over and asked the elderly man selling the candied hawthorn: “Old man, how much are these candied hawthorns?”

“Five cents a skewer!”

“Give me five strings!”

Saying this, Ye Lingyun handed the old man three small bills.

“Alright!”

The old man first gave Ye Lingyun a 5-fen coin as change, then took five skewers of candied hawthorn from the straw stick and handed them to her.

After saying thank you, Ye Lingyun shared the skewers of candied hawthorn with Jiang Xue, Li Yi, Zhang Ziqiang, and the others, but she didn’t keep any for herself.

Taking the sticky-sweet candied hawthorn her mother handed her, Jiang Xue couldn’t wait to take a bite. Even though she only managed to bite off a tiny bit of the syrupy bits, she still said happily, “It’s so sweet!”

Seeing her suddenly act like a child, Li Yi couldn’t help but smile.

“Mom, why didn’t you buy any for yourself?”

“Hehe, how can a mother’s body compare to you young folks? I wouldn’t dare touch anything cold in the middle of winter!” Ye Lingyun said with a laugh.

Jiang Xue nodded, then spoke with a mix of nostalgia and emotion: “Mom, you know, when I was little, my favorite thing was coming over to the supply and marketing cooperative to play. Back then, people would secretly sell candied hawthorn on a stick, sesame candy, and ice pops. Unfortunately, I couldn’t afford them because I had no money, so I could only watch from afar as other kids’ parents bought them!”

“Back then, I used to think all the time, ‘If only my mom and dad could buy me a string of candied hawthorn, that would be so wonderful.’ Today, I finally got to eat the candied hawthorn you bought for me, Mom. It’s so delicious!”

Hearing this, Ye Lingyun’s eyes instantly welled up with tears. She took Jiang Xue’s hand and said, her voice trembling slightly, “Xue’er, I’m sorry. It’s all my fault…”

Before she could finish, Jiang Xue hurried to comfort her: “Mom, don’t blame yourself. I’m not blaming you at all. I just feel so truly happy right now.”

Li Yi chimed in, “Mother, we came here just to see the environment where Xue’er grew up. It’s certainly a bit harsher than the capital, but you can’t just start crying over every little thing. Otherwise, we won’t dare take you out again!”

Ye Lingyun quickly said, “I won’t cry… Mother won’t cry…”

“Mom, I want some sesame candy, okay?”

“Okay, I’ll buy some for you!”

After that, the group walked along the street, buying things as they went, while listening to Jiang Xue recount amusing stories from her childhood—it was actually quite enjoyable.

However, as they walked, they soon arrived in front of a tall building.

Li Yi recognized the place—it was the movie theater in Yong County, where he and Long Zhanjun had been before.

But when they saw the long line of people waiting at the entrance, everyone was taken aback.

“Xiao Xue, is the movie theater here always this popular? Why is there such a long line?” Ye Lingyun asked in surprise.

“It doesn’t usually seem this crowded. Could it be that a new movie has just come out?” Jiang Xue said.

Hearing this, Li Yi suddenly remembered something and immediately said, “Xiao Xue, let’s go see a movie. I heard there’s a new movie out this year that’s really good!”

“Really? What’s it called?”

“Shaolin Temple!”

“I’ve never heard of it!”

“It just came out a few days ago, so it’s no surprise you haven’t heard of it. But a lot of people say it’s really good. Since we’re here, let’s go see it!” Li Yi said.

“Sure!”

The group immediately headed toward the theater to get in line for tickets!

Just then, a girl of about twelve or thirteen suddenly walked over toward them…

……..

Yong County Criminal Investigation Team!

In the conference room, a dozen or so detectives sat around the table, listening to the deputy captain brief them on the case. The expressions on everyone’s faces were grave.

After the deputy captain finished his briefing, Xiao Zhanwu said in a grave tone, “Comrades, this is the situation. As of now, our county bureau has received more than five reports of missing persons, and all of them are women.”

“These cases have already caused a very negative public reaction and have even drawn the attention of the Municipal Bureau, which has ordered us to solve them as soon as possible!”

“Yes, sir!”

Xiao Zhanwu then softened his tone and said, “Everyone, please share what you’ve discovered over the past few days!”

No sooner had he finished speaking than a middle-aged police officer picked up the thread, saying, “Captain Xiao, I’ve compiled and analyzed these cases of missing women. I’ve found that the missing women include both locals and outsiders—some came to Yong County to visit relatives or friends, while others were locals who went out to run errands. Yet in the end, they all seem to have vanished into thin air. The entire process is highly suspicious!”

“Furthermore, these victims share several common traits. Aside from all being women, they are all between the ages of 18 and 30. This suggests that the criminals are targeting a specific demographic. Therefore, I’d venture to say that there may be a major human trafficking ring operating within Yong County.”

Deputy Captain Liang Yongxin immediately responded, “I agree with Old Yang’s analysis. Targeting only women and making them vanish without a trace—it’s highly likely they’ve been trafficked to other regions!”

“Moreover, the fact that they commit crimes so frequently yet leave no trace at all makes it clear this isn’t the work of a lone perpetrator. I think we should focus our investigation on human trafficking and organized criminal activity!”

The team leader then chimed in, “Right, I also think this case is likely human trafficking…”

Just as they were speaking, the conference room door suddenly swung open.

A female officer immediately tiptoed in and whispered a few words into Xiao Zhanwu’s ear.

Xiao Zhanwu frowned briefly, then said, “Old Liang, you guys keep analyzing the case. I’m going out for a bit. Let’s meet up after the meeting!”

“Alright!”

Xiao Zhanwu then closed his notebook and turned to leave the conference room!

As soon as Xiao Zhanwu stepped out of the conference room, he spotted two people standing outside his office from a distance. To his surprise, one of them was Li Yi.

He immediately strode over!

Upon reaching Li Yi, Xiao Zhanwu immediately asked with a smile, “Finished reviewing the files that quickly?”

Li Yi shook his head, then said in a subdued tone, “Captain Xiao, I’d like to ask you about something. Is now a good time?”

As Xiao Zhanwu fished out his keys to unlock the door, he said, “Brother Li Yi, you’re asking about Tang Bing and Tan Cheng, aren’t you?”

“Right. How did those two bastards manage to get out of prison early?” Li Yi cut straight to the chase.

After opening the office door, Xiao Zhanwu turned to Li Yi and said, “Let’s go inside and talk.”

Li Yi didn’t beat around the bush; he simply followed Xiao Zhanwu into his office.

Once inside, Xiao Zhanwu first poured Li Yi a cup of hot water, then sat down across from him.

“I am indeed aware of the situation with Tang Bing and Tan Cheng. Both were released early because they demonstrated meritorious conduct!”

Xiao Zhanwu continued, “Specifically, three months after her incarceration, Tang Bing reported a case of rape and theft of public and private property. After our investigation, we found that her reports were all true. Therefore, in accordance with regulations, her sentence was reduced by one year, and she was released early!”

“It was verified?”

“Yes, Tang Bing reported her own brother, Tang Lei!” Xiao Zhanwu said.

Li Yi was taken aback at first, then remarked with admiration, “She’s a real tough one!”

Xiao Zhanwu nodded and said, “You’re telling me. Not only did this woman report her own brother, but she also reported her husband, Liu Ermaozi. Now Liu Ermaozi’s sentence has been extended to life imprisonment!”

“Whoa! She’s really hammered Liu Ermao into the ground this time!” Li Yi said.

“Exactly!”

“So, does that mean there are no issues with the procedures or grounds for this woman’s early release?”

“Yes, I personally led the investigation. There’s absolutely no issue. You can rest assured on that point, Brother Li Yi!” Xiao Zhanwu said with certainty.

“What about Tan Cheng? What did he do to earn early release?” Li Yi asked.

“He reported a fellow inmate’s escape attempt!”

Xiao Zhanwu continued, “A year after he was incarcerated, Tan Cheng suddenly reported to the guards that an inmate in his cell was planning an escape and had already prepared a plan and tools for it.”

“The prison authorities immediately sent a search party and actually found some tools for the escape. The inmate who was planning the escape had three years added to his sentence, while Tan Cheng, due to good behavior and his meritorious service, had his sentence reduced by a year and a half and was officially released not long ago!”

After hearing Xiao Zhanwu’s account, Li Yi couldn’t help but furrow his brow.

If what Xiao Zhanwu said was true, then the early release of these two men seemed reasonable, lawful, and entirely appropriate—there was nothing amiss.

Although Li Yi felt there was something off about the whole situation, he couldn’t quite put his finger on it.

Just then, Xiao Zhanwu’s voice rang in his ears again: “Brother Li Yi, I know you must feel particularly upset seeing these two scumbags get out after only a year and a half in prison.”

“But that’s the law. They’ve demonstrated meritorious conduct, so we have to reduce their sentences according to the regulations. No one can change that, so you’d better just accept it.”

Li Yi nodded and said, “I understand what you’re saying, but I just can’t shake the feeling that this isn’t as simple as it seems!”

“Are you suggesting there’s something fishy going on here?” Xiao Zhanwu asked.

“It’s possible. After all, these two were released one right after the other for meritorious service—how could that be such a coincidence?” Li Yi said.

“But…”

Before Xiao Zhanwu could finish, Li Yi spoke up: “Captain Xiao, may I review the records regarding these two men’s sentence reductions?”

“That’s against the rules. I don’t have the authority to do that!”

Just as Li Yi was beginning to feel disappointed, Xiao Zhanwu changed his tone and added, “Although I can’t hand you the case files, you can be present while I review them!”

Li Yi’s eyes lit up instantly; Xiao Zhanwu was actually quite flexible in how he handled things.

As an outsider to the case, he certainly wasn’t in a position to review the case files of others—after all, it involved their privacy.

But as the captain of the criminal investigation team, Xiao Zhanwu had the authority to access any materials related to cases he suspected—including case files.

If a friend happened to visit while he was reviewing the files in his office and happened to see some of the contents, that would seem perfectly reasonable.

With that in mind, Li Yi immediately said, “That’s absolutely wonderful. I wonder when you’d be available, Captain Xiao…”

Just as Xiao Zhanwu was about to speak, the office door suddenly swung open.

Immediately, a young police officer rushed in and said to Xiao Zhanwu, “Captain, trouble! Someone else has come to file a report!”

Hearing this, Xiao Zhanwu immediately stood up and said to Li Yi, “Brother, come see me tomorrow morning. I’ve got something to take care of right now. We’ll talk later!”

With that, before Li Yi could reply, Xiao Zhanwu hurriedly left the office…

………

Steel Mill. Staff Housing Compound!

In front of the Tang family’s old house, Jiang Xue knocked on the door.

Soon, a deep, hoarse voice came from inside: “Who’s there?”

The voice sounded unfamiliar to Jiang Xue, further confirming her suspicion that the house had surely been reassigned to another employee by the factory.

Just as she was about to explain her purpose, the door suddenly swung open from the inside.

A man with a scruffy beard then appeared before them.

However, the moment Jiang Xue got a clear look at his face, she was so startled that she stumbled backward two steps.

Fortunately, Li Yi acted quickly and caught her.

Jiang Xue never would have imagined that the deep, hoarse voice belonged to Tan Cheng—he looked completely different from how she remembered him.

“Xiao Xue?”

Tan Cheng hadn’t expected to see Tang (Jiang) Xue standing at the door either, and his face was equally stunned.

Li Yi also recognized Tan Cheng at the door and immediately demanded coldly, “What are you doing here?”

Tan Cheng recognized Li Yi as well, knowing he was Tang Xue’s man.

At the same time, he knew that it was this bastard right in front of him who had sent him and everyone in the Tang family to prison; even his own crippled leg was inextricably linked to this guy.

Not only that, but his parents had lost their jobs because of this bastard; their once-stable livelihoods had forced them to leave their hometown and work as day laborers.

There was nothing they could do; back home, they weren’t even qualified for temporary work—no one would hire them.

It could be said that his entire life, along with his parents’ lives, had been ruined by this damned bastard standing before him.

They say enemies are especially fierce when they meet. Thinking of this, Tan Cheng suddenly shouted, “It’s you! I’m going to kill you…”

Just as he spoke, a woman’s voice came from inside the house: “Brother Cheng, who’s at the door?”

Immediately afterward, a woman with short hair emerged from the inner room.

When she saw the crowd at the door, she froze for a moment, then her gaze locked onto Jiang Xue.

Just a few seconds later, she let out a piercing scream: “Tang Xue, you ungrateful, backstabbing bitch! How dare you come back? I’ll tear your face to shreds…”

With that, the woman’s eyes turned bloodshot as she charged toward Jiang Xue!

“Bang!”

Li Yi had intervened!

The moment Tang Bing made a move, Li Yi sidestepped Zhang Ziqiang and launched a preemptive strike.

He took a step forward and delivered a side kick that slammed hard into Tang Bing’s stomach.

Since Li Yi hadn’t held back at all, Tang Bing’s slightly plump body was instantly sent flying backward, crashing into the wooden door.

The force of the impact was so great that the door actually collapsed, the glass shattering into a thousand pieces, while Tang Bing was left dazed and disoriented.

Seeing this, Tan Cheng glared at Li Yi and shouted, “You… what gives you the right to hit someone?”

Li Yi didn’t answer him, but instead walked toward Tan Cheng step by step.

That terrifying gaze made Tan Cheng keep backing away; his earlier fierce expression deflated like a punctured balloon, and he cowered!

“You… what do you think you’re doing…”

“Don’t come any closer…”

Meanwhile, Tang Bing, who had been in a daze, snapped back to her senses. Immediately, she began wailing at the top of her lungs, “Help! Someone’s been killed!”

Since it was right at noon, most people were at home taking their afternoon nap.

Hearing the commotion, neighbors from both sides poked their heads out to see what was going on, and some had even put on their shoes, ready to come over and gawk.

However, when everyone saw that the trouble was coming from the Tang household, they all shot a couple of disdainful glances before retreating back into their own homes; not a single person came forward to help.

Everyone knew that room was occupied by that slut from the Tang family and that ex-con from the Tan family; unless absolutely necessary, no one wanted anything to do with them.

“Shut up!”

At the sound of Li Yi’s furious shout, Tang Bing’s wailing came to an abrupt halt.

Tang Bing, who had been blinded by rage moments ago, came to her senses after being kicked.

She finally remembered that this man had a terrible temper—and was… incredibly strong.

On the very first day he’d shown up at their house, he’d overturned their dining table and beaten her brother Tang Lei and her father to a pulp.

Later, at the entrance of the guesthouse, this man had single-handedly beaten dozens of members of the Tang family to a pulp, his ferocity beyond description.

Now, with just her—a mere woman—and Brother Acheng, who was missing a leg, how could they possibly stand a chance against this man!

At this thought, Tang Bing couldn’t help but tremble all over!

Li Yi showed not the slightest mercy toward the two people before him—one a woman, the other a cripple. He knew just how wicked and vicious this pair of scum were.

Jiang Xue’s suicide in his previous life was directly linked to these two.

He recalled his father-in-law, Jiang Shiying, telling him two years ago that these two scumbags had been thrown in jail. Although their sentences weren’t particularly long, they shouldn’t have been released this soon.

What on earth was going on?

With that thought, Li Yi fixed his gaze on Tan Cheng and said coldly, “By all rights, you two should be serving time in prison. Why are you here?”

“I… why should I tell you…”

“Smack!”

Before he could finish, Tan Cheng saw a shadow flicker before his eyes, and the next moment, his unshaven face took a hard slap.

Staggering from the blow, Tan Cheng immediately clutched his face and said, “You… what gives you the right to hit me? I’m calling the police…”

“I don’t want to hear any nonsense. If you dare to ramble on like that again, I’ll break your other leg!” Li Yi said coldly.

Feeling the murderous intent radiating from Li Yi, Tan Cheng’s throat twitched involuntarily, and the words died on his lips.

Just then, Tang Bing, who had been scared out of her wits, suddenly blurted out, “I mean… we were released early because we behaved well in prison!”

“Early release?”

Hearing this answer, Li Yi couldn’t help but furrow his brow.

As far as he knew, Tang Bing had been sentenced to two and a half years for engaging in promiscuous sexual relationships, and her sentence was supposed to end at the end of this year.

Tan Cheng’s sentence was even longer; he wasn’t due for release until May of next year. How could they have been let out so soon?

But since these two were living here openly, it was clearly impossible that they had escaped; early release was highly likely.

With that thought, Li Yi swung his hand and slapped Tan Cheng again, making sure both sides of his face were equally red, then turned and walked straight out of the Tang residence.

After being subjected to such behavior by these two repulsive individuals, neither Li Yi nor Ye Lingyun and Jiang Xue—mother and daughter—felt any inclination to go inside and look around. The group then returned to the guesthouse in a sour mood.

Once back at the guesthouse, Li Yi asked Jiang Xue to keep his mother-in-law company for a while, while he took Zhang Ziqiang straight to the Yong County Police Bureau.

Li Yi knew that ex-convicts like them were required to register with the local public security authorities upon their return.

Moreover, since the two had served their sentences in Yong County itself, Xiao Zhanwu should likely be aware of their situation.

At the same time, Li Yi also understood the meaning behind Hu Zhiqiang’s earlier remarks.

Clearly, he was aware that Tang Bing and Tan Cheng had been released early from prison. Worried that Li Yi might do something reckless upon learning this, he had issued both reminders and warnings.

From this perspective, it was highly likely that those two despicable scoundrels had been released under normal circumstances. After all, since Hu Zhiqiang was aware of the situation, he wouldn’t have failed to investigate it.

At this thought, Li Yi couldn’t help but furrow his brow.

If those two bastards really were released early because of good behavior, what was he supposed to do?

Should he just let it go, or find a way to send them back?

For a moment, Li Yi felt absolutely miserable…

………

After the cars stopped beside Li Yi and the others, the doors opened.

Immediately, Li Yi saw a familiar face step out of the car.

Xiao Zhanwu strode over to Li Yi and said with a smile, “I was actually planning to come over early to wait for you, but something came up at the bureau and held me up. At least I didn’t miss you!”

“So, Captain Xiao, you came all the way here just to pick us up?” Li Yi asked with a smile.

“Exactly! Director Hu from the provincial office (Hu Jianqiang) called me this morning and said you were coming today, asking me to meet you. I checked, and it should be this train!” Xiao Zhanwu replied.

“I knew it! How did you know we were coming today? So Uncle Hu called you!”

Li Yi then turned to Ye Lingyun and said, “Mom, this is Comrade Xiao Zhanwu, Captain of the Yong County Criminal Investigation Team. He’s been a huge help in helping us uncover Xiao Xue’s background!”

Ye Lingyun hurriedly replied, “Hello, Comrade Xiao. I’m Xiao Xue’s mother. Thank you so much for helping our family—you’re a true benefactor to us!”

Xiao Zhanwu quickly replied, “Madam, you’re too kind. It’s simply our duty!”

Ye Lingyun immediately replied, “Captain Xiao, this might be a small favor for you, but for our family, it’s a matter of the utmost importance. We truly can’t thank you enough!”

As she spoke, Ye Lingyun bowed deeply to Xiao Zhanwu, leaving him momentarily at a loss.

After all, regarding the incident two years ago, while he had played a small part, it was largely thanks to Li Yi’s planning; he had merely assisted Li Yi’s efforts.

Moreover, after the fact, Li Yi had credited him with all the success, allowing him to leap from a regular officer to deputy captain.

More importantly, at the end of last year, after serving as acting station chief for a few months, he was directly promoted to captain of the Yong County Criminal Investigation Division.

And all this had happened in less than three and a half years since he’d transferred to civilian service.

At that time, most of his comrades were still biding their time in various units; he was the only one to receive a promotion.

Xiao Zhanwu was well aware that his consecutive promotions in less than two years were not due to his own excellence, but because someone was pulling strings behind the scenes.

That someone was the Jiang family—a fact he had confirmed with Director Hu at the Provincial Department.

“Madam… Brother Li Yi, please try to talk some sense into your mother. There’s really no need for this!” Xiao Zhanwu said.

Li Yi immediately turned to his mother-in-law and said, “Mom, Captain Xiao is a friend to both me and Xiaoxue. Please don’t be so formal—otherwise, he’ll feel awkward!”

Ye Lingyun nodded and said, “All right, then. Comrade Xiao is always welcome to visit the Jiang family in the future!”

“Alright, I’ll definitely come by if I get the chance!”

Then Xiao Zhanwu added, “It’s pretty cold out here. Let’s get in the car and talk.”

“Alright!”

Li Yi and Jiang Xue then helped Ye Lingyun into Xiao Zhanwu’s car, while the other three got into another vehicle.

At Li Yi’s signal, the car pulled away and headed straight for the county guesthouse nearby!

The two-kilometer distance was just a matter of stepping on the gas!

Soon, they arrived at the guesthouse!

As for the place where Li Yi and Jiang Xue had stayed before, after presenting various IDs and letters of introduction, the group quickly checked in!

After Li Yi and the others had put their luggage in their rooms, Xiao Zhanwu told them he had arranged lunch for them, then led them straight to the state-run restaurant in the county seat!

……….

After lunch, Xiao Zhanwu had intended to drive Li Yi and the others back to the guesthouse, but Ye Lingyun refused, saying she wanted to take a stroll around town.

Li Yi also thought it would be a good idea to take a walk at this time, so he told Xiao Zhanwu to go back and get on with his work; they would return once they were done exploring.

After all, Yong County wasn’t that big; even if they walked all the way around the town, it wouldn’t take more than two hours.

Besides, they were just going to wander around town; they had no intention of leaving the city.

Seeing that they were insistent, Xiao Zhanwu didn’t say much more—mainly because he still had a case to attend to—and promptly drove away.

After watching Xiao Zhanwu drive away, Li Yi turned to Ye Lingyun and asked, “Mom, where would you like to go now?”

Ye Lingyun looked at her daughter and said, “Xue’er, where… where did you used to live? If it’s not too far…”

“Mother, I used to live with them in the steel mill’s staff housing complex. It’s not too far from here. If you’d like to go, I can take you to see it, but…”

“But what?” Ye Lingyun asked.

“But I don’t know if the factory has reclaimed those two apartments. After all, those people were all arrested, so the factory might have taken them back—or even reassigned them to other employees!” Jiang Xue said.

“That’s not a problem. I just want to see where you grew up. It doesn’t matter who lives there now!” Ye Lingyun said.

“Alright, I’ll take you there right now!”

Then, the group followed Jiang Xue toward the steel mill’s employee housing complex!

It wasn’t far—it took less than ten minutes to get there.

Although this was the steel mill’s employee housing complex, with a security guardhouse at the entrance and staff on duty inside, it was broad daylight, and the main gate was wide open, with people coming and going constantly.

As a result, the security guard on duty did not check the identities or IDs of those entering or leaving, nor did they require anyone to sign in.

And so, Li Yi and the others entered the steel mill’s residential compound without any trouble.

Looking at the rows of low, dilapidated apartment blocks before her, Ye Lingyun couldn’t help but breathe a little heavier.

“Xue’er, did you… did you grow up in this compound?”

Jiang Xue took her mother’s hand and said, “Yes. I lived here until I was sent down to the countryside in North Sai Province when I was 16.”

Then, Jiang Xue pointed toward the northeast and said, “Mom, if you go that way, there’s a small gate that leads straight to the factory’s kindergarten and elementary school. That’s where we used to go to school!”

“Mom, do you see that bulletin board over there? It gets really lively there every summer, especially at night. The adults would bring little stools and chairs to sit and chat, while the kids would run around and play…”

Listening to her daughter’s description, Ye Lingyun could almost picture her own little girl laughing and playing with the other children.

As she thought about it, tears began to fall uncontrollably!

Seeing this, Jiang Xue hurriedly asked, “Mother, why are you crying?”

“Mother’s heart aches for you. If those despicable people hadn’t stolen you away from me, you would have spent your childhood in the capital, growing up carefree!” Ye Lingyun said.

“Mother, what’s done is done, and it’s all in the past. Let’s not dwell on it—we must look to the future!”

Jiang Xue then glanced at Li Yi and added, “Although my childhood was indeed a bit hard, it turned out to be a blessing in disguise. If I’d stayed with you and Father all along, I definitely wouldn’t have gone to Nianzishan Village to work on the commune, and I probably wouldn’t have met him!”

Hearing this, Ye Lingyun wiped away her tears and said, “You’re right. It’s a case of ‘a blessing in disguise,’ and perhaps this is heaven’s way of compensating you!”

Li Yi also offered comfort: “Mother, although Xiao Xue went through some hardships, they tempered her will, strengthened her resilience, and gave her the courage to overcome difficulties—and these are priceless treasures in life that money can’t buy!”

“Yi is right. It’s all in the past now, and I’ve come to terms with it. As long as the two of you are doing well, nothing else matters!” Ye Lingyun said.

“Mom, I’m glad you feel that way. Let me take you to see where I used to live when I was a kid!”

With that, Jiang Xue took her mother’s hand and walked toward a nearby block of flats.

Soon, led by Jiang Xue, the group arrived at the building’s entrance. They climbed the concrete stairs to the second floor and stopped at the door of a room.

Seeing that the door wasn’t locked, Jiang Xue knew someone was inside.

Considering that everyone from the Tang family had been arrested, it was clear that the factory had reclaimed this apartment and reassigned it to other employees.

Although she felt a pang of sadness, knowing her mother just wanted to take a quick look inside, Jiang Xue resolutely knocked on the door…

……..

“Huff!”

“Huff…”

On the railway line connecting Chang’an to Yong County, a green-painted train was chugging along at a steady pace.

Inside the carriage, Li Yi sat in his seat, dozing fitfully. Having spent half the night plowing the fields, he felt somewhat exhausted.

Jiang Xue, however, looked radiant and showed no signs of fatigue whatsoever.

At that moment, she was leaning against Li Yi’s shoulder, flipping through a specialized finance textbook she’d bought in Hong Kong, which primarily covered international accounting standards.

Determined to manage her husband’s finances after graduation, she was giving it her all, studying whenever she had a moment.

By the window, Ye Lingyun was staring out the car window, though it was unclear whether she was looking at the scenery or lost in thought.

Across from Li Yi and the others, Zhang Ziqiang and Zhang Feng sat stiffly in their seats, neither speaking nor making eye contact.

Beside them, Yang Zhiwen stood in the aisle, casually observing the other passengers.

Hu Zhiqiang had come over early this morning and offered to send a car to take them to Yong County, but Ye Lingyun had declined.

Although that would have been more convenient, Ye Lingyun didn’t want to impose on others.

For one thing, there were so many of them that a single vehicle wouldn’t be enough; they’d need to dispatch two.

Moreover, since the vehicles weren’t Hu Zhiqiang’s personal property, mobilizing two official cars at once to transport them would create a rather unfavorable impression.

Secondly, the distance from Chang’an to Yong County was less than 100 kilometers, and the train ride took less than two hours.

Moreover, there were several trains a day from Chang’an to Yong County, making it very convenient—there was absolutely no need to trouble anyone.

So, the next morning, they went to the train station and boarded the train bound for Yong County!

Jiang Xue read for a while, but when her eyes began to feel a little dry, she stopped immediately.

Looking up, she saw her mother staring absently out the car window. Jiang Xue immediately asked with a smile, “Mom, what are you looking at? You seem so engrossed.”

Ye Lingyun said with a touch of wistfulness, “I was hoping to spot some familiar scenery, but we’ve been driving all this way and haven’t seen a single thing I recognize!”

“After all, it’s been over twenty years. It’s only natural that things have changed a bit,” Jiang Xue said.

“You’re right. Just take the train, for example—it’s different from how I remember it!”

“Aren’t trains always like this? What’s so different about them?” Jiang Xue asked curiously.

“Even though they’re both green-painted trains, there’s actually a big difference. I remember the first time I came to Yong County—the train was incredibly crowded. The seats and aisles were packed with people and luggage; there wasn’t even room to stand.”

Ye Lingyun continued, “I clearly bought a seat ticket, and that seat was less than five meters away from me, but I just couldn’t squeeze through. It’s nothing like now—the train is spacious and comfortable, and there aren’t even that many people standing.”

Jiang Xue smiled and asked, “So, Mom, did you stand the whole way when you first went to Yong County?”

Ye Lingyun nodded and said, “Yes. Back then, I didn’t even know I was pregnant. After I got there, I felt incredibly exhausted and unwell all over. I had barely been assigned to the textile factory when I fell ill!”

“Because of that illness, I even got publicly scolded by the factory director. If it hadn’t been for a roommate who took pity on me and sent me to the factory infirmary for treatment, I wouldn’t have even known I was carrying you!”

Jiang Xue frowned and said, “That factory director was so despicable. How could he treat you like that?”

Ye Lingyun shook her head and said, “They say a broken drum attracts a thousand kicks. Back then, both your grandfather and your maternal grandfather were in trouble, and I’d lost the protection of my family. Everyone wanted to take a few kicks at me—it was only natural!”

“Mom, you’ve suffered so much!”

“Actually, it wasn’t so bad. Life was certainly a bit hard, but when I found out I was pregnant with you, I was actually overjoyed. It’s just a shame that what happened afterward was truly beyond my wildest expectations!”

“Mom, it’s all in the past now. Aren’t we both doing just fine?” Jiang Xue said comfortingly.

“Yes, it’s all in the past…”

Just then, the train suddenly passed by a dilapidated Taoist temple.

Ye Lingyun paused for a moment, then said excitedly, “I remember this Taoist temple. It’s a bit run-down, but I still have a vague memory of it. I thought buildings like this had been torn down long ago—I never expected it to still be here!”

Jiang Xue immediately replied, “That must be the Sanqing Temple. It’s probably been preserved because it’s a bit far from the county seat!”

“That’s possible!”

“Mom, Sanqing Temple is about thirty kilometers from the county seat. I estimate we’ll reach the county train station in about half an hour. Would you like to rest for a bit?”

“No, thank you!”

Then Ye Lingyun added, “I don’t know what’s wrong, but the closer we get to the county seat, the more nervous and excited Mother seems to be!”

“Mom, you aren’t…”

Just as Jiang Xue’s expression grew tense, Li Yi’s voice reached her ears: “It’s nothing. Mom, this is just the normal ‘fear of returning home’!”

“Really?”

Li Yi nodded and said, “It’s like that whenever you return to a familiar place—and Mother’s memories of this place are so vivid!”

Li Yi then turned to his mother-in-law and asked, “Mom, what are your plans once we get to Yong County?”

Ye Lingyun thought for a moment and said, “I’d like to visit the place where Xiao Xue used to live and go to school, then take a stroll through the county town and the place where I used to work back then. I’d also like to meet up with my old roommates. I don’t think there’s much else!”

“Alright, those are all simple things. Once we get to Yong County, Xiao Xue and I will accompany you and help you do them one by one!” Li Yi said.

“Alright…”

……….

“Woo… woo…”

With a long, low-pitched whistle, the train slowly pulled up to the station platform.

Immediately afterward, an announcement rang out over the train’s PA system: “Attention all passengers: We have arrived at Yongxian Station. The train will be stopping here…”

Once the train came to a complete stop, Yang Zhiwen and Zhang Feng carried their luggage, while Li Yi and Jiang Xue accompanied Ye Lingyun. The group joined the other passengers in line to disembark!

Stepping off the warm train, they were met by a biting cold wind, causing both Jiang Xue and Ye Lingyun to shiver involuntarily.

Li Yi, however, felt fine. In his opinion, compared to Qingshan County, the temperature in Yong County was actually quite pleasant.

At the very least, it was just a bit chilly, not too severe, with temperatures hovering around minus ten degrees at most.

Think about their home in Qingshan County—not only did they have to endure steel-sharp northwesterly winds during this season, but they also had to deal with occasional blizzards, and temperatures would often plummet to well below minus thirty degrees.

Compared to that, Yong County felt practically as warm as spring!

After leaving the train station, Ye Lingyun didn’t rush off but stood outside the exit for quite a while.

She remarked that even though more than twenty years had passed, this train station hadn’t changed a bit.

At that moment, Li Yi pulled out the camera he carried with him and took a few photos of her and Jiang Xue.

There were solo shots, a mother-daughter photo, and eventually, Li Yi even joined in for the final shot.

After taking the photos, Jiang Xue looked at Li Yi and asked, “Where are we going now?”

“Let’s go to the county guesthouse first and settle in before we do anything else!” Li Yi said.

“Okay, then let’s go over there and find a horse-drawn carriage!” Jiang Xue said.

Just then, Ye Lingyun suddenly asked, “Xiao Xue, is the guesthouse far from here? I remember the county town isn’t very big. If it’s not too far, maybe we should just walk there!”

“It’s not that far—only about two kilometers. But your health…”

“I’m fine. Besides, two kilometers isn’t that far!” Ye Lingyun said.

Since it was exactly 11 o’clock, the temperature was a bit higher than in the morning or evening, and she wanted to take advantage of this time to see what the town was like—maybe she’d even spot some familiar buildings!

“Alright then, since you want to walk, we’ll accompany you!” Jiang Xue said.

After that, the group picked up their luggage and other belongings, preparing to walk the two kilometers to the guesthouse.

But just then, two cars sped up and stopped right beside them…

………..

In a private room at Chang’an Restaurant, the conversation among the group continued.

Suddenly, Hu Zhiqiang’s wife, Guo Hongyu, asked, “Lingyun, did you come here this time to visit Yong County?”

“Yes. It’s been over twenty years since I left. I want to go back and take a look, and settle some unfinished business while I’m at it!” said Ye Lingyun.

Hu Zhiqiang looked at Ye Lingyun and said, “Sis-in-law, honestly, there’s not much point in going anymore. After all, those people have already received their just punishment. Why don’t you just stay in Chang’an? I’ll have your sister-in-law take you around and show you the sights of Chang’an!”

Ye Lingyun shook her head and said, “I’m not going back for those who’ve done wrong. I just want to see the place where Xue’er used to live—a forbidden place I haven’t dared set foot in for the past twenty years—and take a look at the factory where I used to work.”

“As for those who caused my daughter and me to be separated for nearly twenty years, as long as they’re punished, that’s all that matters. The rest doesn’t really matter.”

“The fact that you can think this way, sister-in-law, shows that you’ve truly let go. That’s wonderful!”

As Hu Zhiqiang spoke, his gaze shifted to Li Yi, and he continued, “Nephew-in-law, you must be well aware of the verdict handed down to those people, right?”

Li Yi replied calmly, “I do know a bit about it. Why do you ask?”

“Are you satisfied with the outcome of their cases?”

“What difference does it make whether I’m satisfied or not? I’m not the one deciding how many years they’ll serve!” Li Yi replied.

“So, it seems you’re still somewhat dissatisfied with the verdicts handed down to certain individuals!” Hu Zhiqiang said, fixing Li Yi with a piercing gaze.

Li Yi looked at him and said immediately, “Indeed. In my view, even if the Tang family were to be torn to pieces a thousand times over, it wouldn’t be enough to atone for their crimes. They stole not only twenty years of Xiaoxue’s life, but they also nearly drove her to the brink of despair. Not sentencing them to death is simply too lenient.”

“And those accomplices—sentences of three or five years, or even just two years—are far too lenient!”

As he spoke, Li Yi thought of his past life.

It was precisely because of the pressure from those bastards that Jiang Xue eventually took her own life in despair, effectively destroying her family as well.

Although he and Jiang Xue bore some responsibility for what happened, those people were the real culprits.

Hu Zhiqiang paused briefly, then said, “Son-in-law, take my advice. The matter is over. This time, just go and peacefully accompany your mother-in-law on her final journey. Don’t stir up any trouble! It’s not worth it for those people!”

Li Yi frowned. Just as he was about to speak, the door to the private room swung open, and several waiters walked in carrying dishes.

Hu Zhiqiang could see Li Yi’s stance, so he didn’t dwell on the subject any further. Instead, he smiled and said, “I’m sure everyone’s hungry. Let’s dig in!”

“Alright, let’s dig in…”

………

By the time they finished dinner, it was already nine o’clock.

Back at the guesthouse, Ye Lingyun called Li Yi and Jiang Xue into her room.

As soon as they entered, Ye Lingyun looked at Li Yi and said, “Xiao Yi, it sounded like Brother Zhiqiang was hinting at something. Do you know what he meant?”

“Mom, don’t read too much into it…”

Before Li Yi could finish, his mother-in-law said in a stern voice, “Xiao Yi, I want the truth!”

Li Yi paused briefly, then said, “I think Uncle Hu’s words just now had two meanings. First, he has some grievances against me, and second, he’s giving me a stern talking-to or a warning!”

Ye Lingyun frowned and said, “What gives him the right to have a bone to pick with you? And why would he want to give you a warning?”

“Maybe he thinks I used some unscrupulous methods when I was investigating Xiao Xue’s background earlier, and that makes him, as her husband, feel a bit uneasy!”

Before Ye Lingyun could press further, Li Yi recounted in detail everything that had happened when he and Jiang Xue came to Yong County two years ago, including how he had uncovered the truth.

Although he had employed some unconventional methods along the way, Li Yi didn’t hold anything back; he believed his mother-in-law would understand.

Sure enough, after hearing Li Yi’s account, Ye Lingyun immediately said, “That’s exactly the kind of approach you should take against those bad and evil people. You don’t need to feel guilty, and don’t worry about what they think. I support you in this!”

Li Yi smiled and said, “Mom, I don’t have a guilty conscience!”

“Really?”

“No!”

Then Li Yi added, “You can’t advise others to be good unless you’ve suffered yourself; and even if you have suffered, you might not be as good as I am! They don’t know what Xiao Xue went through, but I do. Just for the pain she endured, they all deserve to die.”

“Honestly, they should be grateful for the law and for being born into this peaceful society!”

Although Li Yi didn’t voice the rest of his thoughts, both Jiang Xue and Ye Lingyun understood exactly what he meant.

Jiang Xue immediately stepped forward, took Li Yi’s hand, and gently comforted him: “You mustn’t act on impulse. Uncle Hu was right—it’s not worth getting your hands dirty over those people!”

Ye Lingyun added, “That’s right. The government and the law have already punished them for their crimes. We shouldn’t get involved any further!”

Li Yi shook his head and said, “I don’t want to get involved either, but Uncle Hu’s words just now have made me a little suspicious!”

“What are you suspicious about?” Ye Lingyun asked.

“I can’t shake the feeling that his last words were a warning, telling me to stop while I’m ahead. And the reason he’s doing this is likely because something has happened in Yong County that we don’t know about!” Li Yi said.

“But… what could possibly be happening over there?” Jiang Xue frowned.

“I don’t know. Maybe I’m just overthinking it!” Li Yi said.

Ye Lingyun immediately replied, “Don’t overthink it. We’re heading to Yong County tomorrow anyway—we’ll find out once we get there!”

“Right!”

“Alright, we’ve got a long journey ahead of us tomorrow. You two should go back and get some rest!” Ye Lingyun said.

“Okay…”

………

Downtown. The Hu Family Home!

Just as Li Yi was discussing the matter with his mother-in-law, Hu Zhiqiang also returned home.

Upon entering, he went straight to his study, picked up the phone, and dialed a number.

After a few rings, the call was answered.

“Who is this?”

“Shiying, it’s me!” Hu Zhiqiang said.

“Did you pick up Lingyun and the others?”

“We picked them up ages ago. We just finished eating!”

Then Hu Zhiqiang added, “Are you busy right now? If not, I’d like to talk to you about something!”

“I’m very busy, but I have time for a quick call. What’s up?” Jiang Shiying said.

“Here’s the thing. Do you remember Tang Bing, the youngest daughter of the Tang family, and that young man from the Tan family?” Hu Zhiqiang asked.

“I do. What’s up?”

“They’ve been released from prison!”

“They’re out? When did that happen? How did they get out so quickly?” Jiang Shiying frowned.

“Their crimes weren’t that serious to begin with. Even with the harshest sentences, it was only two years for one and three years for the other. Tang Bing was released early after having five months knocked off her sentence for good behavior in prison!”

Hu Zhiqiang continued, “As for Tan Cheng, although his sentence was a bit harsher, he performed meritoriously during his rehabilitation in prison—and his contributions were significant—so he was also released early not long ago.”

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the line, then he said, “Fine, let them be released. They weren’t the main culprits anyway. You didn’t call just to tell me all this, did you?”

“No, I’m worried about your son-in-law!”

“Xiao Yi, what are you worried about him for?” Jiang Shiying asked, puzzled.

“That guy holds a grudge for the slightest offense. He’s smart and cunning. I’m really worried that once he finds out those two were released early, he’ll stir up more trouble!” Hu Zhiqiang said in a low voice.

“I don’t think so. Xiao Yi knows his limits. As long as those two scoundrels don’t go looking for trouble, he shouldn’t do anything extreme!” Jiang Shiying said.

“Let’s hope so. I don’t mean anything by this; I just wanted to give you a heads-up. If you have time, you could…”

Before Hu Zhiqiang could finish, Jiang Shiying cut him off: “No need!”

Jiang Shiying knew her son-in-law very well. He was a billionaire and held great favor with the higher-ups—why would he bother with those two nobodies?

Then, before Hu Zhiqiang could say a word, Jiang Shiying spoke again: “I’ve got things to do. We’ll talk later. Bye!”

Listening to the steady beeping coming from the receiver, Hu Zhiqiang looked utterly helpless…

…….

February 13, the 20th day of the first lunar month—an auspicious day for travel!

Early in the morning, Li Yi and Jiang Xue got up.

After entrusting Yun Rui and Yun Jin to the care of their eldest sister and Juanzi, and leaving Yang Miao behind to protect them, the couple, accompanied by Zhang Ziqiang, Yang Zhiwen, and Zhang Feng, left the Li family residence and headed straight for the Jiang family’s ancestral home.

That’s right—they were setting out for Yong County today.

Since the journey was long and the weather hadn’t warmed up yet, traveling with children would be inconvenient and could easily lead to illness.

So, after discussing it, Li Yi and Jiang Xue decided not to bring the children on this trip.

With their eldest sister and Juanzi there to help look after them, the couple felt at ease.

When they arrived at the Jiang family’s ancestral home, Ye Lingyun had already packed everything up.

Shortly after, the group boarded a car and headed to the airport…

At 3:00 p.m., the plane landed smoothly at Chang’an Airport.

Since the flight wasn’t particularly long and it was a regular flight—with no sudden takeoffs or rough landings—everyone felt pretty good.

Even Ye Lingyun, who usually had a weak constitution, didn’t suffer from motion sickness today—a rare occurrence.

After disembarking, the group had barely reached the airport exit when they spotted a middle-aged man in a police uniform approaching them from a distance.

Upon seeing Ye Lingyun, the man smiled warmly and said, “Hello, sister-in-law! Welcome to Qin Province!”

Ye Lingyun took a closer look at the middle-aged man in front of her and asked, somewhat uncertainly, “Are you Jianqiang?”

“That’s right, Sister-in-law!”

Ye Lingyun looked at him and remarked with a touch of emotion, “It’s been a few years since we last met. You look so weathered—I thought you were only forty-three or forty-four this year?”

“Forty-four. It’s just that working in our line of work is really grueling—nothing like how easy Brother Shiying has it!”

“He doesn’t have it easy either—his hair has gone quite gray!” Ye Lingyun remarked.

“It’s just part of getting older—it’s inevitable!”

The middle-aged man continued, “My brother was actually planning to come pick you up himself today, but there’s an important meeting at the ministry that he has to chair, so he sent me to pick you up instead!”

“No problem—work comes first!”

Ye Lingyun then turned to Jiang Xue and Li Yi and said, “Xue’er, Yi, this is Uncle Hu Jianqiang. He and your Uncle Hu Zhiqiang have been childhood friends with your dad since they were kids!”

Li Yi and Jiang Xue immediately stepped forward and said, “Hello, Uncle Hu!”

Hu Jianqiang looked at Jiang Xue intently for a moment, then sighed and said, “My child, you’ve suffered so much!”

“Back when your older brother and I went to Yong County to bring your mother home, why didn’t we think to investigate? If we’d been more thorough back then, you wouldn’t have had to suffer for all these years!”

No sooner had he finished speaking than Ye Lingyun shook her head and said, “It’s not your fault. None of us could have imagined that family would be so wicked. Besides, if you two brothers hadn’t risked your lives to take me away back then, I might have…”

“Sis-in-law, please don’t say that. We grew up together. Back at the Yan’an Childcare Center, you and Brother Shiying took such good care of me and Xiaoying. How could we just stand by and do nothing when you were in trouble?”

Then Hu Jianqiang changed the subject and said, “Sis, let’s not dwell on that. I’ve already arranged a place for you to stay. I’ll take you there right now!”

“Alright!”

The group then walked out of the airport and got into the jeep that had been waiting for them for quite some time!

The car quickly entered the city and drove through the urban area for about half an hour before finally pulling into a large compound.

When Li Yi saw the prominent sign reading “Qin Provincial Public Security Bureau Guest House,” he was slightly taken aback.

He hadn’t expected that Uncle Hu had arranged for them to stay at the provincial Public Security Bureau’s internal guesthouse—clearly, the other party held a high-ranking position.

But then again, considering that he and his father-in-law had grown up together in the orphanage, their parents were certainly no ordinary people. Most of those who lived to see 1949 were founding heroes of the nation.

Even those who didn’t live to see the founding of the nation were all heroes and martyrs, and the state took great care of their descendants.

After settling them in, Hu Jianqiang took his leave.

After Hu Jianqiang left, Li Yi asked curiously, “Mom, what position does Uncle Hu hold here that he was able to arrange for us to stay here?”

Ye Lingyun shook her head and said, “I really don’t know about that, but I do know that Uncle Hu is the head of the public security system here!”

Li Yi was slightly surprised, then said, “No wonder!”

“After all that running around, you must be exhausted. Go back and rest. Uncle Hu said he’d treat our whole family to dinner tonight, so we need to be well-rested for that!” Ye Lingyun said.

“Alright!”

With that, Li Yi and Jiang Xue left his mother-in-law’s room.

………

At six o’clock that evening, Hu Jianqiang arrived again and took everyone to the Chang’an Restaurant.

When Li Yi, Ye Lingyun, and Jiang Xue walked into the private dining room, they saw three middle-aged people—one man and two women—already waiting for them.

Upon seeing the group enter, the middle-aged man seated at the head of the table immediately stood up and said to Ye Lingyun with a smile, “Sister-in-law, I’m truly sorry I couldn’t pick you up at the airport today!”

The middle-aged woman to his left also stood up and said, “Lingyun, you look so much better now. It’s truly a blessing from heaven!”

“Brother Zhiqiang, Sister-in-law, and Xiao Ying, it’s been so long! I’m truly delighted to see you all!” Ye Lingyun replied cheerfully.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Hu Zhiqiang turned his attention to Li Yi and Jiang Xue, then said, “Young lady, you must be Xiao Xue, right?”

“Hello, Uncle Hu, I’m Xiao Xue!”

Jiang Xue then pointed at Li Yi and said, “Uncle Hu, this is my husband…”

Before Jiang Xue could finish, Hu Zhiqiang interrupted, “No need for introductions!”

Hu Zhiqiang then looked at Li Yi with a scrutinizing gaze and said, “Your name is Li Yi, right?”

“Hello, Uncle Hu. I’m Li Yi!”

For some reason, Li Yi couldn’t shake the feeling that Uncle Hu was looking at him strangely.

How to put it? It was like a police officer interrogating a suspect—there was wariness, scrutiny, and a faint sense of restraint.

But since they shouldn’t have any history together, this expression and gaze were a bit puzzling.

“I’ve heard Shiying mention you—you’re a resourceful young man!”

When he said the word “resourceful,” Hu Zhiqiang’s tone was slightly heavy.

Hearing this, Li Yi’s heart skipped a beat; it seemed he’d caught onto something.

But just then, Hu Jianqiang’s voice rang out: “Bro, everyone’s here. I think we should have them serve the food.”

“Go ahead!”

While they waited for the food to be served, Hu Zhiqiang and his wife, along with Hu Jianqiang and his wife, immediately began catching up with Ye Lingyun, reminiscing about their childhood together decades ago.

Li Yi and Jiang Xue couldn’t really join in on these topics, so they could only sit there and listen intently.

Taking this opportunity, Li Yi began to analyze Hu Zhiqiang’s “peculiar” attitude toward him.

Li Yi could tell that Hu Zhiqiang didn’t harbor any hostility toward him; the words he’d spoken earlier seemed more like caution.

He was just an ordinary citizen—what could possibly make a high-ranking police official so wary of him?

Suddenly, Li Yi thought of those people in Yong County.

It must have been the things he’d done in Yong County that had caught this man’s attention.

Although his schemes against the Tang family, the Tan family, and Liu Ermao had been carried out in secret, a thorough investigation would likely uncover plenty of clues.

After all, back then, he was new to the area and had no one he could truly trust.

Most of his schemes had to be carried out through Long Zhanjun and his gang of underlings, and they simply wouldn’t hold up to scrutiny.

Perhaps those methods were indeed rather unscrupulous—such as luring Tang Meilian’s son into gambling and then using that to force Tang Meilian into compliance.

To be honest, this was already borderline illegal. It must have been Director Hu who uncovered these details during his investigation, which is why his attitude toward Li Yi had been so peculiar.

Once he had sorted this out, Li Yi stopped dwelling on it. Although the methods weren’t exactly honorable, he didn’t regret a single thing.

As for what others thought, he couldn’t care less!

Just then, the conversation between Hu Zhiqiang and the others suddenly turned to that incident from years ago…

……..

Jianguo Hotel. Main Conference Room!

Li Yi sat firmly in the chair of honor, flanked by Lan Xinyi, Cai Bingyan, Li Yunbao, Yang Qian, and others, while the remaining thirty or forty people were seated in order on both sides of the long conference table.

Glancing around the room, Li Yi cleared his throat and said, “Welcome everyone to Beijing, the ancient capital with a history spanning a thousand years. For a long time to come, your primary focus will be here, so you must all be mentally prepared to settle down in Beijing for the long haul!”

No sooner had he finished speaking than Lan Xinyi interjected, “Boss, with the exception of our colleagues in the legal department, we’ve already coordinated with everyone else. You can rest assured on that front!”

Li Yi nodded. “Good to hear. Today’s meeting is primarily to address three matters. First, we need to establish the mainland branch of Star Investment. Manager Lan, please introduce the team members.”

“Yes!”

Lan Xinyi then reported with confidence: “Boss, our team consists of 42 people in total. This includes 18 from the Investment Department, 10 from Administration, 4 from Finance, 2 from Legal, 2 translators, 4 office staff, and 2 from Public Relations!”

“Additionally, all team members were among the first to join the company, and they are all fluent in Cantonese and English; a few can also speak Mandarin.”

After listening to Lan Xinyi’s introduction, Li Yi said with satisfaction, “Very good. This staffing arrangement is excellent.”

“In that case, I’ll now announce the management appointments for the mainland branch. I hereby officially appoint Lan Xinyi as General Manager of the branch, An Hong as Deputy General Manager, Li Yeqiao as Chief Financial Officer, Yang Qian as Deputy CFO, Cai Bingyan as Head of the Investment Department, Wang Yanbin as Head of the Administration Department, Xu Changming as Head of the Office, Qiao Yan as Head of the Public Relations Department, and Li Yunbao as Interim Head of the Legal Department!”

These appointments were the result of Li Yi’s careful deliberation over the past few days. Although the branch office is primarily staffed by people from Hong Kong, it also needs to include personnel from the mainland.

After all, the main business operations would be based here in the future, so naturally, they couldn’t rely solely on staff from Hong Kong. That’s why Li Yi had arranged for An Hong and Li Yeqiao to be included in the team.

“Does anyone have any comments or suggestions regarding this arrangement?” Li Yi asked again.

Lan Xinyi spoke up first: “I have no objections, but I do have a suggestion!”

“Go ahead!”

“Boss, our branch office has just been established, and we’re not yet fully staffed or fully equipped in other areas. So I suggest that once we’ve determined our investment direction, we should first submit an application to the local government to recruit a batch of employees!” Lan Xinyi said.

Li Yi replied immediately, “There’s no rush on that. Your primary focus now is negotiating with the Beijing municipal government, which brings us to our second task: securing favorable terms!”

“I’m sure you already have a general understanding of the local investment incentives from your previous visit with the delegation, but that was just an overview. The specifics still need to be negotiated. Since I’m unable to attend the negotiations personally, General Manager Lan will be in full charge of them!”

“Yes!”

Then, Lan Xinyi looked at Li Yi and asked, “Boss, are you really not going to participate in these negotiations?”

“I won’t be participating, but I have a few non-negotiable demands. You must ensure the other party meets them!” Li Yi said.

“What are those non-negotiable requirements?” Lan Xinyi asked.

“First, we must ensure that the industries we invest in can compete fairly and on equal terms with local enterprises. There must be no differential treatment based on differences in ownership or affiliation.”

Li Yi continued, “Second, our company is willing to accept oversight from local government departments—covering personnel, projects, taxation, and other areas—and we’re even open to allowing them to establish a Party branch within our company.”

“But conversely, the local government must not interfere with our normal operations without cause, and especially must not obstruct us through administrative orders.”

“Understood. We’ll make this position clear during negotiations!”

Then Lan Xinyi spoke again: “Boss, regarding tax incentives, do you have any expectations or bottom lines in mind?”

“None. You can negotiate that with them yourselves!”

As for tax incentives, Li Yi didn’t have any particular preferences.

In fact, tax incentives available to foreign-invested enterprises are not standardized. Typically, they offer tax exemption for the first two years starting from the year profits are generated, followed by a 50% reduction for the next three years.

However, some local governments even offer super-generous incentives, such as tax-free status for the first five years followed by a 50% reduction for the next five.

Exactly how much Lan Xinyi and her team could secure from the Beijing municipal government depended on their skills; Li Yi wasn’t particularly concerned about it.

After all, he was already doing everything he could to raise funds for the state—he’d already contributed hundreds of millions, even over a billion—so why would he get into a heated argument with others over a few tax breaks?

If anyone was going to negotiate, it would be Lan Xinyi, Li Yunbao, and the others; Li Yi would absolutely not get involved.

And that was the main reason he wasn’t participating in the negotiations. After all, he’d already handed over the whole chicken and the whole fish—why bother haggling over a mere drop in the bucket?

Moreover, Li Yi had always felt that granting preferential treatment to foreign businesses and capital was inappropriate and unfair to domestic enterprises.

It is often said that fair competition is one of the cornerstones of a market economy, but the current tax incentive policies for foreign-invested enterprises clearly run counter to this principle.

After all, the total income tax burden for foreign-invested enterprises is less than one-third of the actual tax burden rate for domestic enterprises. Such a stark disparity in tax burdens hinders fair competition between domestic and foreign-invested enterprises and the rational allocation of resources.

It also hinders domestic enterprises from engaging in economic exchanges with foreign counterparts under broadly equal conditions, severely undermining the nation’s interests.

“I understand, boss!” Lan Xinyi replied immediately.

Li Yi nodded and continued, “Next, let’s discuss the third matter: which industry sector to invest in!”

Upon hearing this, everyone in the room instinctively sat up straight.

Li Yi cleared his throat and said in a solemn tone, “The mainland is different from Hong Kong, and even more so from countries in Europe and America. There are no financial markets here to invest in, so we have only one investment direction: real industry!”

“As things stand, I’m leaning toward the electronics and semiconductor industries—including home appliances like refrigerators, color TVs, and washing machines, as well as cutting-edge technologies like cameras and computers!”

No sooner had he finished speaking than Lan Xinyi frowned and said, “Boss, the industries you mentioned are indeed all emerging sectors, but we are merely an investment firm and lack the necessary technical expertise. Wouldn’t it be too risky to rush into such fields?”

Li Yi nodded and said, “I’m glad you’re thinking this way, but you don’t need to worry about that. Although we lack technical expertise in these areas, we have capital—and more importantly, we have the vastest market!”

“The market?”

“Exactly. There are a billion people on the mainland, and the demand for electronic products here is growing by the day. Even if we simply purchase less advanced technology from Western countries, the products we manufacture will still be well-received in this market.”

Li Yi continued, “With such a vast market behind us, we’re fully capable of supporting our own R&D team to conduct cutting-edge research!”

Li Yi was well aware that these high-tech companies were money-guzzling behemoths. Given their current lack of both talent and technology, investing in such an industry was simply not feasible.

But he had no choice. A mindset of “better to buy than to make, better to rent than to buy” had already taken hold domestically, and many projects were either already being scrapped or on the verge of being scrapped.

To avoid being held hostage by others in the future, Li Yi had no choice but to proceed this way.

Fortunately, just as he said, with such a vast market to rely on, there was still a chance to catch up—even if they had to start from scratch.

Wasn’t it thanks to the vast domestic market and the support of the people that Mr. Ren was able to take Huawei from humble beginnings with just 2 million yuan in capital and build it into the tech empire it is today?

There’s no reason why Li Yi, with 20 billion, couldn’t achieve what someone else did with just 2 million!

Li Yi added, “In addition to that, we must also invest in local industries—this is currently our top priority!”

“Moreover, I have already reached a cooperation agreement with the Yanjing Television Factory in Beijing. You must dispatch a team to take up residence at that factory as quickly as possible!”

“Yes, sir!”

“In a few days, I’ll provide you with a list of high-quality local enterprises. You’ll then visit each one on the list, acquiring those you can and taking equity stakes in the rest!”

“Yes…”

……..

Zhang Xinyao gave birth. Although the process was difficult and dangerous, the outcome was ultimately very good.

However, it kept Jiang Xue on her toes. She received the call at 9:00 PM and didn’t leave the hospital until 5:00 AM the next morning—essentially working through the night.

There was nothing she could do about it—after all, the woman giving birth was both her best friend and her sister-in-law. If she didn’t step up, who else would?

Besides, right now, there simply wasn’t anyone else available from her uncle’s side of the family to stay at the hospital, so she had to bear the burden alone.

After all, her eldest uncle and Jiang Longyin were both working out of town, and Jiang Longcheng was away on a business trip.

As for her eldest sister-in-law, Xu Manqiu, and her second sister-in-law, Yang Rong, they had children at home, so they only stayed for a short visit before rushing back.

Her aunt was already stretched thin, caring for both Zhang Xinyao and the newborn baby on her own, so Jiang Xue had no choice but to stay.

Since Jiang Xue stayed, Li Yi naturally couldn’t go home alone, so he stayed at the hospital as well.

Fortunately, Jiang Longcheng rushed back around 4:00 a.m. and finally relieved Li Yi and Jiang Xue of their duties.

Exhausted, the couple fell asleep the moment they returned to the Jiang family’s old residence, and when they woke up, it was already past noon.

By then, his mother-in-law had already prepared lunch and was waiting for them to eat.

After a quick wash, Li Yi and Jiang Xue went to the dining room in the main hall.

As soon as they walked in, they saw the old man playing with Yunrui and Yunjin.

Little Yun Jin, in particular, was being held in the old man’s arms, her tiny hands clutching his beard tightly.

Although his face was contorted from the tugging, the old man showed no sign of letting go.

Seeing this, Li Yi immediately moved to take the little girl away, but the old man laughed and said, “It’s fine, I’ll just hold her. You two haven’t eaten breakfast yet—go grab a bite to eat first!”

“Grandpa, please don’t let her pull on your beard—it really hurts!” Jiang Xue said.

“Haha, she’s so little—how much strength could she possibly have?”

Although the old man said this, the occasional twitch in his facial expression made it clear that he wasn’t finding it easy at all.

The little girl was now over a year old, and with her good nutrition, her little hands were surprisingly strong!

Just then, Ye Lingyun walked in from the kitchen carrying a plate of scrambled eggs. Hearing the old man’s words, she smiled at Jiang Xue and said, “Your grandfather just loves little girls. With so many young ones in the family, I’ve never seen him hold any of them—except for Yunjin!”

“Grandpa, you’re definitely favoring girls over boys!” Jiang Xue said with a laugh.

The old man immediately burst into hearty laughter. “How could I not favor girls? Going back three generations and looking three generations ahead in the Jiang family, there are only you and Yunjin—two girls. That’s what they call ‘rarity makes things precious’!”

“Hahaha!”

Hearing this, everyone burst into laughter!

Li Yi looked around the inner and outer rooms but didn’t see his father-in-law anywhere. He immediately asked his mother-in-law, “Mom, where’s Dad? Why don’t I see him?”

“Your father went back to Guangzhou. He left at ten o’clock this morning!”

Then Ye Lingyun added, “The food’s all ready. Let’s dig in!”

After sitting down, Li Yi served himself some rice and asked, “Mom, when Xiao Xue and I came over yesterday, we actually wanted to ask when you planned to leave for Yong County, but we got sidetracked by the matter with Third Sister-in-Law!”

“Just think it over and set a date—Xiaoxue and I will go with you!”

Ye Lingyun replied immediately, “Any time before school starts is fine with me. It depends on your schedule!”

“How many days do you plan to stay there? Or is there something specific you need to do while you’re there?” Li Yi asked.

“Actually, there’s nothing particularly important. It’s just that place feels like a thorn stuck in my heart. Every time I think about it, it fills me with fear and unease, and that’s been hindering my recovery.”

Ye Lingyun continued, “A while back, when Dr. Jiang gave me a follow-up checkup, he said that although I’m recovering quite well now, there’s still something weighing on my heart that I haven’t let go of. If this continues, my illness might relapse one day!”

“After much thought, I realized that the place I’ve struggled to let go of the most in my life is probably Yong County. So I thought I’d go there to visit—to see my old coworkers from back then and take a look at the place where Xue’er used to live, just to put my mind at ease!”

Li Yi nodded and said, “In that case, there’s no time to waste. I’ll just get the company team settled and then head out!”

“How many days will it take?”

“No more than three days!” Li Yi said.

“Alright, that works out well—I’ll use these next couple of days to get ready too!”

“Alright…”

After finishing their meal, Li Yi noticed it was almost 1:00 p.m., and Lan Xinyi’s flight was scheduled to arrive just after 2:00 p.m.

He then said goodbye to Jiang Xue and his mother-in-law, and, accompanied by Zhang Ziqiang, headed to the airport to pick them up!

……….

Beijing Airport!

At the arrivals gate, Li Yi chatted with a group of officials from the municipal government and the Investment Promotion Bureau while waiting for Lan Xinyi and the others to arrive.

As one of the first companies to invest in the mainland this year, and given that Starry Sky Investment is currently the most powerful investment firm in Hong Kong—bar none—it naturally received high-level attention from Beijing’s investment promotion department.

Although Star Investment is Li Yi’s company and their decision to invest on the mainland was his initiative—making it seem as though the government had little to do with it—

But in reality, that wasn’t the case. How Star Investment would invest after arriving, which industries they would target, the scale of their investment, and what incentives and conveniences the city would offer—all of these required negotiations with the municipal government.

That’s right—negotiations!

In the early days of reform and opening-up, we adopted a very humble stance to attract foreign investment.

We had no choice; international capital wasn’t particularly optimistic about us at the time.

Apart from a lack of understanding of us and the long-standing demonization by Western countries, the more critical factor is that although we announced reform and opening-up, the scope of our opening-up was not particularly broad.

Especially in the financial sector, we were resolutely opposed to opening up to foreign capital, which led many to worry that investing here would leave them vulnerable to being fleeced.

Precisely for this reason, when word spread that Starry Sky—such a renowned investment firm—was coming, the higher-ups took it very seriously. From Guangdong Province all the way to Beijing, governments at every level had made extensive preparations to welcome them.

To name just a few, the delegation arriving at the airport today was met by a vice mayor, the director and deputy director of the Investment Promotion Bureau, and more—a total of over twenty officials.

In terms of the reception protocol, this was already quite impressive!

Just as everyone was chatting, the airport PA system announced that the flight had landed safely.

After waiting a short while longer, a group of people dressed in matching uniforms and carrying identical suitcases came walking toward Li Yi and his party.

From a distance, Li Yi immediately spotted Lan Xinyi leading the group, with Li Yunbao by her side.

As the group drew nearer, Li Yi was surprised to discover that Yang Qian—the woman the Foreign Exchange Bureau had forced onto their company—was also in the group!

To be honest, Li Yi was somewhat surprised. Why hadn’t this woman stayed in Hong Kong? Why had she followed the group all the way to Beijing?

But the occasion wasn’t exactly convenient for that—he’d find time to ask her once they were back in the city!

Lan Xinyi and the others also spotted Li Yi and immediately hurried over.

After the two groups met, they naturally exchanged pleasantries.

After the grand welcome ceremony concluded, Lan Xinyi and the others were escorted from the airport back to the city by the municipal government’s motorcade and were immediately accommodated at the Jianguo Hotel.

After settling the entire team in, the municipal government leaders immediately held their first meeting with Lan Xinyi and her group in a conference room at the Jianguo Hotel.

In addition to welcoming the team, they briefly discussed the time, location, and agenda for the negotiations.

The municipal government also announced that a reception dinner would be held that evening at the more prestigious State Guest House, and invited the Starry Sky Company team to attend punctually.

After the meeting concluded, the municipal government officials took their leave.

Subsequently, Li Yi summoned the team members to continue the meeting, providing instructions regarding the upcoming negotiations and subsequent investment matters!

The Hai County case was quite complex, and even though Jiang Shiying focused on the key points, it still took him over ten minutes to explain.

According to him, the Hai County case had pointed directly to the county’s top official from the very beginning, and the task force had apprehended the main suspect immediately.

They had originally thought that with ample evidence, the case would be easy to solve, but they didn’t expect the ringleader to be a seasoned political veteran who had long anticipated this day and made preparations in advance.

He had destroyed most of the evidence pointing to him and had even formed a mutual defense pact with the other suspects, which made it extremely difficult for the task force to make any headway during their investigation in Hai County.

More importantly, after a period of investigation, just when the task force thought the ringleader was about to crack, the man actually attempted suicide—and he was determined to die.

This was a major problem. If he died, the case would truly be impossible to solve, and even if it were solved, it would be meaningless—after all, convicting a private citizen… let’s just forget about it!

Fortunately, following Jiang Shiying’s instructions, the task force promptly adjusted its strategy, focusing its efforts on the ringleader’s wife.

The main suspect’s wife had also been involved in shady dealings such as embezzlement, bribery, and smuggling, but she lacked the main suspect’s years of experience and composure honed in the bureaucratic arena.

Over the course of 19 days, the investigation team interrogated her 26 times and finally broke through with her testimony, bringing the case to a definitive conclusion.

Jiang Shiying’s return to Beijing was specifically to report on this case to the relevant leaders!

After listening to his father-in-law, Li Yi immediately smiled and said, “It’s good that the case is solved. Cracking such a major case is quite an achievement!”

However, Jiang Shiying sighed and said, “Don’t even mention any credit—we’ll be lucky if our merits and demerits cancel each other out this time!”

Seeing his father-in-law’s furrowed brow, Li Yi frowned and asked, “What do you mean by that?”

“You don’t know what’s under the surface in Hai County until you lift the lid. Once we did, we realized this festering wound runs far too deep and is far too vast—it has corroded not only the flesh and blood but the very marrow of the bones!”

Jiang Shiying continued, “While investigating this case, we discovered that Hai County has turned smuggling into a business involving the entire population. It’s even reached the point where the Party organizations in many townships have become command centers for smugglers. A total of 159 cases have been filed for investigation alongside this one, involving 316 people.”

“But despite the severity of the situation, neither the provincial nor municipal authorities were aware of it. The public security, procuratorial, and judicial organs, as well as the disciplinary inspection commission, were acting as if they were all collectively blind in this area. Do you realize just how serious the problem is?”

“Well… I see what you mean, but this isn’t entirely your fault. After all, you’ve only been in office as head of the Discipline Inspection Commission for a short time!” Li Yi said.

Jiang Shiying sighed and said, “One must fulfill the duties of one’s position and naturally bear the corresponding responsibilities. Even if one has been in office for just a single day, there is still accountability—let alone the fact that I’ve been in this role for quite some time now!”

“Most importantly, during this investigation, we’ve uncovered a large number of moles within our own system. If the higher-ups decide to punish me, I won’t feel wronged!”

“Are they really going to punish you?” Li Yi asked, frowning.

“Not exactly, but when I went to report the situation this morning, I did receive severe criticism from several leaders!” Jiang Shiying said.

“Criticism isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Sometimes, once the bosses have had their say, the matter is put to rest!” Li Yi said.

Jiang Shiying smiled and said, “I don’t need your consolation, kid. But I really do have to thank you this time. If it weren’t for your warning, the lightest punishment I’d have gotten would’ve been a demotion!”

“You’re my father-in-law—if I don’t help you, who else would I help?” Li Yi said.

“That’s true. I’ve given you my daughter Xue’er—how could I not help you?”

Then Jiang Shiying changed the subject and added, “By the way, during our talk today, the boss asked me if I’d be interested in switching positions!”

“What position?”

“Deputy Governor, in charge of economic development!” Jiang Shiying replied.

“Is this because of that case?”

“No, it’s mainly because of you!” Jiang Shiying said, dropping a bombshell.

“What does this have to do with me? I’m not even part of the system,” Li Yi said in surprise.

“After the members of the Hong Kong Chinese Chamber of Commerce visited Guangdong Province and Beijing, they’ve shown a strong interest in investing in the mainland, and most of them hope to invest in Guangdong Province.”

Jiang Shiying continued, “Given your immense influence there, combined with our relationship, the provincial government wants me to take charge of these matters.”

“At the same time, the higher-ups have high hopes for you. Once I’m transferred to the position of Deputy Governor, I’ll be able to support your efforts!”

Li Yi thought for a moment and said, “Actually, I think you should stick to your old line of work—don’t go taking that deputy governor position!”

“Oh? Care to explain your reasoning?”

Li Yi replied immediately, “I understand the thinking of the provincial government and those bigwigs higher up, but some matters aren’t as simple as everyone imagines. If you get involved, it will often be very difficult to handle!”

“When those people come to you for help, they’ll be unhappy if you don’t assist them. But if you do help, over time it will affect your reputation—and one day, it might even backfire on you.”

Jiang Shiying paused briefly before saying, “But right now, it’s not just the provincial government and higher-ups who want me to serve as Deputy Governor—even the businesspeople from Hong Kong are hoping I’ll take the position. If I refuse…”

Before Jiang Shiying could finish, Li Yi cut in: “It doesn’t matter if you refuse. Businesspeople are all about profit. As long as they can make money, it doesn’t matter who’s in charge—and conversely, it won’t matter who comes if they can’t!”

“Hmm, I see!”

Jiang Shiying then changed the subject and added, “But if I were to become that deputy governor, it would be such a boon to your business!”

Li Yi shook his head. “No need. First, most of my investments are overseas, and my domestic investments are concentrated in the north.”

“Second, what I need from the Jiang and Ye families is for you to simply stand behind me and maintain control of the situation. Unless absolutely necessary, you must never get personally involved.”

“Why is that? Isn’t it better to have us helping you?” Jiang Shiying asked.

“Father, politics is politics, and business is business!”

“What do you mean?”

“What I mean is, whether it’s the Jiang family or the Ye family, you should simply remain a political family. It’s best not to try to meddle in everything or control everything.”

Li Yi continued, “Setting aside the fact that our country would never allow a single powerful family to extend its influence into the military, political, and business spheres—even if the current leadership were to permit it, future rulers would certainly step in!”

“More importantly, when a family has both wealth and power, it’s often the beginning of corruption and decline. So if the Jiang and Ye families want to continue thriving, it’s best for them to keep things simple!”

Jiang Shiying pondered for a moment, then suddenly smiled.

“Heh, no wonder the old man always says you have a strategic vision—it’s true. Your perspective certainly extends further than ours!”

Li Yi smiled and said, “It’s not that I see far ahead—I’m just more level-headed!”

“Alright, I know exactly what to tell the higher-ups!”

Li Yi nodded and asked, “Didn’t Second Brother mention a job transfer? What’s the latest on that?”

“The transfer order has already come through. He arrived in Pengcheng a few days ago!”

“Great! Pengcheng is a fantastic opportunity. If Second Brother does well there, his future achievements won’t be anything to sneeze at!” Li Yi said cheerfully.

“You’re really that optimistic about that backwater?”

“Heh, it might be a backwater now, but just wait a few years. Its growth rate will definitely outpace most cities in the country, and it’s bound to become a bustling metropolis like Beijing or Shanghai!” Li Yi said.

“How is that possible? Beijing and Shanghai have been developing for hundreds, even thousands of years. How could Pengcheng possibly keep pace with them?”

“Why not?”

Li Yi then smiled and said, “Dad, let me share a saying with you!”

“What is it?”

“When you’re riding the wind, even a pig can fly—and Pengcheng is already riding that wind!” Li Yi said meaningfully.

Hearing this, Jiang Shiying was completely stunned!

“Ring-ring-ring!”

The abrupt ringing of the phone interrupted the conversation among the people in the room!

Li Yi was just about to get up to answer the phone; after all, he was the youngest in the room, so it fell to him to do it.

Seeing this, Jiang Shiying immediately said, “I’ll get it. You keep chatting with the old man!”

“Sure thing!”

Despite this, neither Li Yi nor the old man continued their previous conversation; both of their gazes fell on Jiang Shiying as they watched him pick up the phone.

As soon as he picked up the phone, a woman’s voice came through the receiver. She sounded somewhat anxious, but Li Yi couldn’t make out what she was saying.

Just then, Jiang Shiying said in a low voice, “Sister-in-law, take him to Peking Union Medical College Hospital right away. I’ll be there immediately!”

Upon hearing the word “hospital,” Li Yi and the Old Man both sat up straight, their eyes once again fixed on Jiang Shiying.

After hanging up, Jiang Shiying immediately turned to the old man and said, “Longcheng’s wife is having some abdominal pain; it looks like she’s about to give birth, but Longcheng isn’t in Beijing. My sister-in-law asked me to go over there!”

“Alright, then go right away!” the old man said.

Li Yi immediately stood up and said, “Dad, I’ll go with you!”

The two then went to the west wing. After briefly explaining the situation to Jiang Xue and her mother-in-law, Jiang Xue also felt uneasy and said she wanted to go take a look.

Realizing that there were many aspects of childbirth that would be inappropriate for two men to handle, Jiang Shiying agreed.

Then, the three of them hurriedly left the Jiang family’s old residence…

By the time Li Yi and the others arrived at the hospital, Zhang Xinyao had already been taken to the operating room.

It was only then that Li Yi and the others learned from their aunt, Wu Yongmei, that Zhang Xinyao’s labor had not started naturally; she was still more than twenty days away from her due date.

The reason for the premature labor was that she had taken a fall while doing housework earlier, which had caused the baby to shift!

This made Li Yi and Jiang Xue anxious as well; premature birth is a very dangerous situation!

Just as everyone was growing anxious, a doctor in a white coat hurried over and asked, “Zhang Xinyao’s family—who is her family member?”

Her mother-in-law rushed forward and said, “I… I’m her mother-in-law. How is Xinyao?”

“Her water has broken, but her cervix hasn’t dilated yet. To prevent the baby from suffocating, we need to perform a cesarean section immediately…”

Before the doctor could finish, the aunt-in-law asked, her voice trembling, “Is it very dangerous…?”

“There is some risk, but the baby is already 37 weeks along, so the risk is relatively low. I came out to tell you to hurry and get everything ready for the mother and the baby!” the doctor said.

“Okay, okay, I’ll go back and get them right away!” Wu Yongmei said hurriedly.

Jiang Shiying immediately offered, “Big Sister, I’ll take you back!”

“Okay!”

After Jiang Shiying and Aunt Wu Yongmei left, Jiang Xue held Li Yi’s hand and said, “Xinyao… Xinyao will be okay, right?”

“She should be fine. Didn’t the doctor just say the baby is already 37 weeks along?” Li Yi reassured her.

“Third Brother really is something. Xinyao’s about to give birth, and he’s still going on a business trip!” Jiang Xue said with a hint of reproach.

“He’s the factory director; sometimes he just can’t help it!” Li Yi said.

“Hmph, so what if he’s the plant manager? You’re a busy person too, but you were right by my side the whole time before and after I gave birth. I think he just doesn’t care about Xinyao!” Jiang Xue said, a bit upset.

“Don’t get upset. Good people are blessed by heaven; she’ll be fine!” Li Yi said.

As he spoke, Li Yi silently prayed for Zhang Xinyao in his heart.

In her past life, she had lived a life half-filled with heartache and half with misery. Her father died when she was young, and her family was poor, so she suffered greatly.

As an adult, her marriage was unhappy, and she was widowed and left to raise a child at a young age.

It had taken so much effort for her life to finally turn around in this lifetime, and just as things were getting better and better, Li Yi truly didn’t want this kind-hearted woman to suffer such hardships again…

At nine o’clock that evening, just over twenty minutes after Zhang Xinyao was wheeled into the operating room, the sound of a baby’s cry echoed from within.

Hearing the sound, Li Yi and Jiang Xue both froze, then instinctively moved closer to the operating room door!

A few minutes later, the operating room door opened, and a female doctor stepped out, saying, “Zhang Xinyao’s family…”

“That’s us. How is Xinyao?” Jiang Xue hurried forward and asked.

“The surgery was a success. Both mother and baby are safe and sound!” the female doctor replied.

Jiang Xue let out a sigh of relief and said excitedly, “Thank goodness. Doctor, thank you so much.”

“You’re too kind—it’s our duty!”

The female doctor then added, “Please wait a moment. The mother will be out shortly, and we’ll need your help once she’s in the ward!”

“Okay…”

Just then, Jiang Shiying and Wu Yongmei arrived, accompanied by their eldest sister-in-law, Xu Manqiu, and second sister-in-law, Yang Rong.

Clearly, they had heard the news and rushed over to help!

Upon learning that both mother and baby were safe, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

Wu Yongmei, in particular, was so overcome with joy that she burst into tears; she had genuinely feared that something might happen to her daughter-in-law, Zhang Xinyao.

Although Wu Yongmei did look down on Zhang Xinyao’s family background a bit, from the perspective of social equality, Zhang Xinyao was simply not a suitable match for the Jiang family.

If this had been five or six years ago, she would never have agreed to let her youngest son marry a girl from such a small town.

But what could she do? Her son was a complete troublemaker, acting as if he had absolutely no interest in women.

Watching every single one of the rascals he’d grown up with get married and have children, while he didn’t even have the slightest thought of finding a partner, had Jiang Shirong and Wu Yongmei deeply worried.

Having finally found someone their son was satisfied with, Wu Yongmei naturally dared not say much; she just wanted to get him married as soon as possible.

She really couldn’t bear to imagine what her son might do if anything were to happen to his wife, given his temperament!

Thank goodness… thank goodness…

After waiting another ten or so minutes, the light outside the operating room finally went out, and the door swung open.

Then, they saw a surgical stretcher being wheeled out by several doctors and nurses, with a young nurse following behind, holding a swaddled infant in her arms.

Then, surrounded by the crowd, the operating table was wheeled into the ward!

At that point, there was nothing left for Li Yi and Jiang Shiying—two grown men—to do; they were ushered out of the ward!

After stepping out of the ward, Li Yi glanced at the familiar scene in the hallway and immediately smiled, saying, “What a coincidence—Xiao Xue was in this very delivery room last year!”

“Heh, that’s why this scene felt so familiar!” Jiang Shiying chuckled as well.

“At least it was just a false alarm. That’s a relief!” Li Yi said.

“Yeah, too bad Grandpa’s going to be disappointed again!”

“Disappointed about what? Isn’t this great?” Li Yi asked, a bit puzzled.

“It is great, but the Longcheng family had another son, and the old man really wanted a girl!” Jiang Shiying said with a laugh.

“It’s no big deal. After all these years, the old man should be used to it by now!” Li Yi said with a grin.

“You’re right!”

Then Jiang Shiying added, “By the way, I was actually going to talk to you about something serious earlier, but this whole thing threw a wrench in my plans! Since we have a little time now, let’s have a chat, you and me!”

“What’s on your mind? Go ahead!” Li Yi replied immediately.

“The case in Hai County has been solved!”

Hearing this, Li Yi’s eyes lit up instantly, and he said, “That fast?”

“Thanks to the tip you gave us. We were at a loss when the interrogation of the ringleader hit a dead end, but after taking your advice, we shifted our focus to the ringleader’s wife.”

Then, Jiang Shiying began recounting to Li Yi the thrilling details of the investigation in Hai County…

………

PS: There will be another chapter before midnight, though it might be slightly delayed on external platforms!