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Psst! We're moving!
The vehicle sped through the night, dodging through a hail of bullets.
Cao Yan pressed a secret code, requesting backup.
In less than half a minute, another round of gunfire erupted behind them, but they weren’t the ones under attack. The car behind suddenly crashed into a nearby rock, no longer paying attention to them. Jiang Chuan and Cao Yan exchanged a brief glance. Was backup really that far away?
Jiang Chuan listened for a few seconds and judged, “They’re not our people, but they don’t conflict with us either.”
Cao Yan: “Do we go or stay?”
Cao Yan didn’t ease off the gas, sharply turned the steering wheel, moved to the right, ducked to avoid a bullet, and Jiang Chuan, with a stern face, turned around and fired several shots out of the window, “Go!”
The rear was completely ignoring them now.
Cao Yan took the opportunity to drive away.
Sure enough, they weren’t pursued, narrowly escaping danger.
Cao Yan made a call and let Jiang Chuan speak. Jiang Chuan looked at him and said, “No need, you guys retreat too.”
“Are you safe now?”
“Yes, we’re on our way back.”
“What happened?”
“I don’t know. A group from behind ambushed them, so those people didn’t chase us anymore.”
Whether friend or foe, they still didn’t know.
Regardless, those people appeared just in time; otherwise, with only Jiang Chuan and Cao Yan, it would have been tough to escape.
The other side paused for a moment and said, “You retreat first. Leave some people there.”
Jiang Chuan thought for a moment, “I think Cao Yan and I should stay here.”
“If that’s the case, be careful.”
After hanging up the phone, Cao Yan asked, “Who do you think those people were?”
Jiang Chuan replied, “Probably anti-drug police.”
The two teams’ actions weren’t coordinated, and there was hardly any communication. Zhao Qianhe’s underground casino was forced to close, cutting off this source of income, leaving only drug trafficking. Unlike Jiang Kun, who was cautious and calculating, Zhao Qianhe had lost his patience after years in prison, becoming more violent and sinister. He would only resort to brute force.
It was thanks to Zhao Qianhe that they found Jiang Kun’s weakness.
Cao Yan raised an eyebrow, “Things are getting interesting now.”
Jiang Chuan smiled, opened the car door, and got out, “Alright, let’s get something to eat.”
Cao Yan laughed, “Sure, how about some grilled meat?”
The two talked as they chose a street stall, ordered beer and grilled meat.
...
Qin Tang went with Cao Sheng to see Du Xin.
Du Xin was temporarily detained at the Beijing Public Security Bureau. Cao Sheng had arranged for Qin Tang to be allowed inside.
Interrogation Room —
Qin Tang waited for a while, then the police brought Du Xin in.
Du Xin’s face was plain, looking haggard with noticeable dark circles under her eyes. She no longer had the radiance she had shown recently. Seeing Qin Tang, her expression wavered, and she bit her lip without speaking.
Qin Tang looked at her and said, “Speak. Tell the police everything you know, and An Yi Foundation won’t hold you accountable.”
Du Xin bit her lip, tears streaming down, her voice trembling with sobs, “If I talk, can I avoid jail?”
Qin Tang didn’t respond, and Cao Sheng said, “Not during pregnancy and lactation.”
Du Xin cried even harder, sobbing as she caressed her belly, “If... if I knew I’d get pregnant, I wouldn’t have agreed to Lu Sha...”
She spoke for a long time.
Du Xin had been married to her husband for eight years. After a miscarriage four years ago, she hadn’t been able to conceive again. She had tried various traditional Chinese medicines, visited major hospitals, and tried folk remedies, but nothing worked. She and her husband planned to try IVF and had saved the money, but last year her mother fell ill, and all the money was spent.
IVF was expensive and didn’t guarantee success. She and her husband had tried twice already, both times failing, and their savings were depleted.
This wasn’t the first time Du Xin had tampered with the An Yi Foundation’s accounts, but she was timid, only fudging small amounts each time, around ten thousand yuan. She managed these accounts, so covering up such small sums wasn’t difficult.
For so long, no one inside the An Yi Foundation had noticed. It was unclear how Lu Sha found out, but she used it to blackmail Du Xin into cooperating with the charity auction and promised her a large sum of money—enough to buy a house within Beijing’s Third Ring Road.
The temptation was immense.
...
After leaving the Public Security Bureau, Qin Tang looked at Cao Sheng, “One hundred million yuan should be enough for you to arrest Jiang Kun, right?”
Cao Sheng nodded. “Mm.”
Qin Tang asked, “When are you going back to Xi’an?”
Cao Sheng replied, “Tomorrow. After I finish up here, I’ll visit Manman in the evening and leave early tomorrow morning.”
Qin Tang asked, “How’s Manman’s condition?”
“She’s been discharged from the hospital. This kind of illness can’t be rushed. Her grandmother is taking care of her.”
“I’ll visit her next time.”
Cao Sheng smiled, “Alright, after this mission is over, you and Jiang Chuan can go together.”
Qin Tang glanced at him and lowered her head, “Mm.”
Qin Tang went to the An Yi Foundation and entrusted some matters to Old Yuan. Du Xin’s situation was to remain confidential both internally and externally for now—even her parents couldn’t be told. Qin Tang thought that once the case was resolved, everything would be explained. Jiang Chuan owed her an explanation.
She owed her parents an explanation too.
And Chen Jingsheng.
...
In the evening, as Qin Tang was packing her luggage, Jiang Chuan sent her a text message.
[The weather here is getting cooler; remember to bring a coat.]
[Okay.]
Qin Tang stuffed two more coats into her suitcase, one thick and one thin.
Early the next morning, Qin Tang came downstairs with her luggage.
She didn’t plan to drive and had called for a car to wait for her downstairs.
Two cars were parked downstairs—one she had called as a taxi, and the other belonged to He Cong’an.
He Cong’an leaned against his car door, quietly watching her. Qin Tang walked over and said indifferently, “What are you doing here?”
He Cong’an looked at her luggage and said, “Are you going to Xi’an?”
“Mm.” Qin Tang looked up at him, “How did you know?”
“I ran into Cao Sheng yesterday.” He Cong’an had secretly investigated the events from years ago. He had a friend in the police department, and last night while having dinner with his friend, they bumped into Cao Sheng, who was dining with his daughter. His friend recognized Cao Sheng.
He Cong’an talked with Cao Sheng.
Qin Tang frowned slightly and said, “You don’t need to worry about my affairs.”
He Cong’an said discontentedly, “You always shoulder everything yourself. Even when something big happens at the An Yi Foundation, you don’t tell your parents. What are you going to Xi’an for now? It’s dangerous there. Even if you want to see him, there’s no rush. Are you afraid he’ll die like Chen Jingsheng, out of your control?”
Qin Tang’s expression turned cold, “It’s none of your business.”
Qin Tang dragged her suitcase toward the taxi, but He Cong’an grabbed her.
“Let go.”
“Qin Tang, don’t be so stubborn.”
“Let go.”
Qin Tang glared at him, enunciating each word, “He’s not the same as Chen Jingsheng.”
He Cong’an stared at her for a long time before sighing helplessly, “Let me take you there.”
Qin Tang still refused, “No need.”
He Cong’an snatched her luggage, “I’ll take you to the airport!”
Without waiting for her consent, he shoved her luggage into his car.
Qin Tang glared at him. The taxi driver, having waited for a long time without any passengers, called her.
Qin Tang glanced at her phone, pulled two hundred-yuan bills from her wallet, and walked toward the taxi. She opened the door and got in.
He Cong’an was almost fuming.
A few minutes later, he shoved her suitcase into the taxi’s trunk and drove off.
...
A rain had just passed in Xi’an.
The October autumn wind seeped into collars, bringing a chill.
Qin Tang wrapped her shawl tightly around herself and walked out of the airport with Cao Sheng.
As soon as she looked up, she saw Jiang Chuan. His tall figure stood out in the crowd.
Jiang Chuan spotted her immediately too. His smile widened as he walked over.
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