Chapter 38: Police Checkpoint at the Highway Exit

Of course, those are matters for over a decade from now; in this lifetime, they should not repeat themselves.

But a dog cannot change its habit of eating excrement; they will certainly commit other crimes. That family of beasts in human skin—Liang Jiyong will not let them off!

"I understand. Secretary Zhao will contact you shortly!"

...

Soon, Zhao Guangming called. After exchanging a few pleasantries, he mentioned that he was already on his way to Longshan County and had arranged for people to arrive and ensure Chen Puer's safety. Because he did not trust the political and legal circles of Longshan County, he could not act too openly; his arrival in Longshan would stir up a storm. Accompanying him was Liao Yan, the Secretary of the Discipline Inspection Commission of Yunzhou, a "female judge" who made Yunzhou officials tremble at the mere mention of her name.

Ten minutes later, three vehicles arrived: one sedan and two Iveco vans. The team was led by Zhao Qiao, Deputy Prosecutor of the Longshan County Procuratorate. Zhao Qiao was in his early thirties, of medium height, steady and capable. He shook hands with Liang Jiyong and then had Wen Ming and his two bodyguards escorted into one of the vans. Liang Jiyong and Chen Puer sat in the back of the sedan, while the others occupied the other van. Because Longshan County was currently unsafe, Wen Ming was certain to meet his end, and if Wen Chongtai learned of his son's whereabouts, he might well resort to desperate measures. The Wen family was deeply rooted in Longshan, so they had no choice but to leave.

Along the way, Liang Jiyong and Zhao Qiao conversed pleasantly. Zhao Qiao was a graduate of the Law Department at Yunzhou University, and since Liang Jiyong had already decided to study law, Zhao Qiao would be his senior—provided, of course, that Liang Jiyong could get into the university.

Before getting on the highway, Zhao Qiao made a call. Soon, his expression turned grim.

"Brother Zhao, what's wrong?" Liang Jiyong asked.

"There's a spot check at the highway entrance. They say they're searching for a wanted criminal!"

A wanted criminal—perhaps they were looking for them. Although the authorities might not dare to use force against them, they would certainly take Wen Ming away. If that guy were taken, it would be difficult to find him again.

"Let's take the county road. We'll have to take a detour, and it will delay our meeting with Secretary Zhao," Zhao Qiao said helplessly.

"Brother Zhao, I'm afraid the county road won't be easy either. I suggest we turn around now and head for Qingzhou!"

"Qingzhou!" Zhao Qiao was stunned.

"Wen Ming isn't exactly a tough nut to crack. If he enters the formal legal process, many people won't be able to sleep. You know Longshan better than I do—think about how many people would be implicated. In this situation, I fear some people will absolutely not allow Wen Ming to be taken back to Yunzhou. At the very least, they will make sure he stays silent!"

Zhao Qiao looked at Liang Jiyong deeply. If he hadn't known this kid was just a high school student, he would have thought he was a veteran of the political and legal system with deeper foresight than his own.

"Fine, we'll go to Qingzhou! I'll contact Secretary Zhao right now!"

"Wait until we arrive in Qingzhou to contact him."

Zhao Qiao nodded. He understood: there might be someone unreliable around Secretary Zhao who leaked the news. After all, there were many people from Yunzhou involved in this investigation, and surely some would tip off the Wen family.

Chen Puer hadn't lied; he truly lacked this kind of experience. But what about Liang Jiyong? How could he have such experience? Economic theory could perhaps be explained by talent, and his steady temperament and courage might be related to his upbringing. But to be this experienced in the face of such a situation—how could that be? Chen Puer became increasingly curious about Liang Jiyong. While he considered himself quite outstanding among his peers, he felt immature compared to Liang Jiyong. It was a bit disheartening. The key was that the kid's composure defied reason. Was he a genius? There was no logic to the world of a genius, and moreover, a genius in every aspect. Unless there was an old soul living inside his head. But that was even more ridiculous; he preferred to believe that Liang Jiyong was a true genius.

...

They entered Qingzhou smoothly and did not go to a hotel. Only after they estimated that Zhao Guangming had arrived in Longshan County did Liang Jiyong and the others turn on their phones to make contact. Zhao Guangming and Zhou Jianguo were both anxious, as they had lost contact with Liang Jiyong's group for over an hour. Chen Pusheng had arrived at Pingzhou Airport and also couldn't reach his son. If anything happened to his son, Chen Pusheng would not hesitate to file complaints at the highest levels; given his influence, it would certainly command attention.

Liang Jiyong contacted Zhou Jianguo, and Zhao Qiao contacted Zhao Guangming, explaining the reason for going to Qingzhou. Although they understood, they were told to return to Longshan immediately, as much had happened in that hour. On the way back to Longshan, they encountered three police cars with Yunzhou license plates. Zhao Qiao went out to coordinate, and then, escorted by the police cars, they returned to Longshan. Longshan was no longer dangerous.

"I finally understand a phrase you said earlier," Liang Jiyong said to Chen Puer.

"What?"

"The power of capital."

Chen Puer smiled and did not deny it. If it had been an ordinary citizen in his situation, they would be lucky to be alive.

"People pursue fame, profit, power, and wealth—there is logic to it, though wealth is ranked last."

Liang Jiyong chuckled, "I won't speak of power, but fame and profit—I find that a bit hard to accept."

Chen Puer shook his head, "That's because you haven't reached the pinnacle. The world bustles for profit; all the bustling and jostling for power throughout history boils down to a single word: profit."

"And what about fame? Is the power of empty fame above that of profit?"

Chen Puer said definitively, "Someone once studied this specifically, and you certainly know them—people like Jesus, Shakyamuni, Confucius, and so on..."

"Brilliant."

"Do you not intend to go into business in the future?" Chen Puer was curious, as Liang Jiyong's business talent was the greatest he had ever seen.

"For one, I have no interest. Secondly, when it comes to business talent, my second sister leaves me ten streets behind."

"Haha, I don't believe you!" Chen Puer said.

"You have to believe it. When my second sister was in elementary school, she sold her class notes for several hundred yuan. Back then, if she'd been caught, it would have been considered speculation and profiteering!"

Chen Puer was stunned. To have such business acumen in elementary school!

"What does your second sister do for a living now?"

"Her primary job is as a Chinese teacher at Yunzhou No. 1 High School, but she's taken a leave of absence and is running between Shanghai, Jincheng, and Lingnan. I can't even figure out what she's trying to do; her thinking is always so unconstrained that ordinary mortals like us can't keep up."

"I'm becoming more and more curious about your second sister."

"Don't. My second sister has no interest in little kids; she's only interested in making money, and it has to be challenging."

"Don't misunderstand, I don't want to be your brother-in-law. I just want to meet your second sister and pay my respects."

"That's no problem. I expect she'll be back soon. Perhaps she'd be interested in meeting your father."

"No problem. My father also hopes to thank you in person..."

"No need. If I hadn't encouraged it, you wouldn't have bought the Red Leaf Villa."

"That's not the same thing. If we track cause and effect like that, then all evil can be blamed on the monkeys for evolving into humans!"

"Haha, I also look forward to meeting your father..."

At the border of Longshan County, Liang Jiyong met Zhao Guangming and a cold, beautiful woman who looked to be in her early thirties with short hair. Through Zhao Guangming's introduction, he learned this was Liao Yan, the "female judge" who terrified Yunzhou. In his past life, Liang Jiyong had never dealt with Liao Yan, but he had heard the legends. After Liang Jiyong retired from military service, Liao Yan had already left Yunzhou; it was said she worked for the Provincial Discipline Inspection Commission for a time, then went to another province as the head of the Discipline Inspection Commission, and finally ended up in the top-level Discipline Inspection Commission, seemingly becoming a Deputy Secretary.

"Hello, Secretary Liao!"

"Hello, you're quite impressive!" Liao Yan shook hands with Liang Jiyong. Her hand was quite cold.

Then, Liao Yan took away the blood-covered Wen Ming. Seeing his injuries, she frowned but said nothing. Wen Ming was loaded into an ambulance; he couldn't die just yet. Liao Yan left directly, and Zhao Qiao came over to report to Zhao Guangming.

"Xiao Liang, Zhao Qiao is my older brother's son. You are both young, so you should get to know each other better in the future!"

Liang Jiyong was surprised. Zhao Qiao was Zhao Guangming's nephew; no wonder he was the one arranged to handle this.

"Brother Zhao, you really hid that well!" Liang Jiyong said in surprise.

"My second uncle usually doesn't let me talk about it, and few people in Longshan know."

"Alright, you two can catch up later. It's getting late. I'll have Zhao Qiao find a place for you to stay, and you can return to Yunzhou tomorrow," Zhao Guangming said.

"Secretary Zhao, I need to return to Yunzhou tonight. I have classes tomorrow!"

Zhao Guangming was stunned, only then remembering that this kid was still a high school student!

"Oh, right. I really forgot that. You're a good kid. In the future, drop the 'Secretary' and just call me Uncle Zhao!"

"Alright, Uncle Zhao. I think that sounds more comfortable too!"

"Good. What about the others? Are they going back or staying?" Zhao Guangming asked.

"I asked them just now; they will stay. With you in charge, this is now the safest place in Yunzhou!"

"Fine, I'll arrange a car to take you back," Zhao Guangming said.

"Uncle Zhao, just lend me a car. I can drive, I just don't have a license yet!"

"You kid. After the holiday, go to the traffic police detachment and submit your documents; I'll open a green light for you, but you must follow the rules when driving!"

"Don't worry, Uncle Zhao. When I drive, I never run red lights. I'd rather stop for three minutes than fight for three seconds!"

"Rather stop for three minutes than fight for three seconds... Interesting. I'll have that written on all the cars in the future!"

Zhao Guangming's words made Liang Jiyong realize that this slogan didn't seem to exist in this era yet. People's traffic awareness seemed to be just starting. He had accidentally made history!

Ultimately, only Di Yutong returned to Yunzhou with Liang Jiyong. Although Chen Puer had been startled, he wouldn't retreat because of it. He intended to use the next few days to complete the two deals already under negotiation. As for meeting his father, there was no rush. This time, the Jiangnan Chamber of Commerce had seized the opportunity to apply pressure. Although Chen Puer was unharmed, they would certainly not let Changjiang off easily, and would use this incident to secure benefits or policy concessions. Changjiang had no choice but to swallow this bitterness, as the other party's reasons were perfectly justified: the son of the Vice Chairman of the Jiangnan Chamber of Commerce was almost shot to death while doing business in Changjiang. Who wouldn't be angry? Who wouldn't be furious? Who would dare come to Changjiang to do business in such a security environment? Chen Puer and Jiang Lan would temporarily remain in Hongyun Ancient Town, but Fang Zhan and Zhao Guodong, along with their girlfriends, would likely continue their travels. It was natural that Di Yutong didn't want to be a third wheel.

Jiang Lan looked at Liang Jiyong. She wanted to walk over, even if just to give him a hug. But she knew she couldn't. He wasn't her boyfriend; her clever, impulsive decision to give her most precious first time to this man would lead to no result, but her heart had truly been taken away with him. That day at the hot spring resort, Liang Jiyong's restraint, the composure he showed today facing the "Wen Skin-Peeler," and the words he said when the villain tried to make her stay: "She is my woman!" That one sentence made Jiang Lan dead set on Liang Jiyong. Even if there would be no promises and no future, she was still willing to stand behind him for the rest of her life as an anonymous woman.

*When the golden wind and jade dew meet, they surpass countless others in the human world!*

Liang Jiyong's bravery and sense of responsibility in that moment surpassed a lifetime of companionship from other men. She smiled at him and waved, her blue eyes seeming to fly into the sky, following him as he went further away!

...

"Jiang Lan definitely fell in love with you," Di Yutong said. Sitting in the passenger seat, she tilted her head to look at Liang Jiyong.

"Haha, you're being too judgmental!" Liang Jiyong could only deny it.

"Absolutely. That expression, that look in her eyes—it's just like how I look at you. I'm too familiar with it! Think about it: if a man dared to save me under the barrel of a gun, I would give myself to him too. But I reckon this lifetime, it's only going to be you, so I'm going to cling to you. Even if it means I have to hide from Wanqing in the future, I accept it!"

"Sigh!"

Liang Jiyong sighed and said nothing; he was truly speechless!

"Don't look so gloomy. Things will be as they were before. I'll only cling to you if I stay away from Wanqing." Di Yutong leaned on Liang Jiyong's shoulder and whispered, "Drive slower..."

From Longshan to Yunzhou, it normally took three hours; it could be done in two if fast, but it could take four if slow! It was already five o'clock in the afternoon, and it would likely be nine by the time they got back.

By the time they entered downtown Yunzhou at nine o'clock, it was completely dark.

"Shall we find a place to eat?" Liang Jiyong asked.

Di Yutong shook her head. Once they entered Yunzhou, she couldn't help but feel a bit dejected. "I have no appetite. My mom left food for me, I'll go back and eat. Wanqing must be waiting for you, too."

Because she knew about his relationship with Wanqing, Di Yutong wouldn't go to Wanqing's house tonight. It was a bit of a transparent pretense, but they were both willing to play the fool!

Liang Jiyong reached out and held Di Yutong's hand; beyond that, she couldn't do anything else. Di Yutong turned to look at Liang Jiyong. Once out of the city center, the streetlights vanished and the light grew dimmer; they were fast approaching the Red Flag Factory.

Suddenly, Di Yutong leaned over and whispered in Liang Jiyong's ear, "You were scared by the gunfire today!"

"I..." Liang Jiyong almost choked on his breath...

Liang Jiyong slowed the car down and kept driving past the Red Flag Factory! A sense of guilt welled up, but the physical pleasure made him unable to stop. He seemed to understand Su Kui now—why he would cheat despite having such a perfect wife as Lin Xiaoyu. Understanding it was one thing, but Liang Jiyong still felt he was different from Su Kui. Su Kui's relationship with the "Black Peony" was definitely not true love; it was just for pleasure! Having grown tired of delicacies, he wanted a change of pace with wild vegetables. Now, the delicacies were in someone else's bowl!

Liang Jiyong suddenly thought that his indulgence and the loosening of his moral boundaries might one day push Wanqing into someone else's arms! This made his pleasure vanish instantly; he just wanted to end the current state. Liang Jiyong pulled the car over and leaned his head back. A man, after all, is a physiological animal...

...

Liang Jiyong glanced at the window of Wanqing's house, and sure enough, he saw her shadow. When the car returned to Su Wanqing's front door, the door was already open. Liang Jiyong parked the car. Su Wanqing stood at the door, looking at him and smiling, like a little wife welcoming her husband home!

Liang Jiyong took a deep breath, pushed down all his complicated thoughts, opened the door, and walked over quickly!

"You're back!"

"Yes!"

Liang Jiyong hugged Su Wanqing directly and kissed her!

"No, wait, let's go inside first..."

But the resistance was ineffective. Liang Jiyong's aggressive kiss made Su Wanqing unable to suppress her longing and anxiety any longer!

She used her foot to close the door, and Liang Jiyong reached out to untie her bathrobe.

"Eat first, then take a bath. I'm all yours for the whole night..."

"You're mine for this whole life!" Liang Jiyong kissed her again. He did need some time; he had just been drained by Di Yutong!

"I'll go take a bath first, then we can eat. Driving for several hours, I'm covered in sweat!"

"Alright, I'll go get the food out. My cooking isn't very pretty, but it tastes okay!"

"As long as you're the one who made it, everything is good!"