Chapter 228 News of Feng Jiulong’s Death
April 20, Monday.
The young man’s physical recovery was evident in Han Jieli; after just six weeks, he had mostly healed from his bone injuries. If it weren’t for the psychological barrier of recovery, he could have even considered ditching the crutch.
Considering that Han Jieli was still in the recovery period, Commander Wang Hongjun and the leadership of the intelligence department didn’t assign him specific work tasks. Apart from needing to report for duty on time every day, Han Jieli seemed somewhat unoccupied.
As noon approached, another half day had passed, and aside from spending time in the confidential meeting room reviewing various materials related to the Southern Monitoring Zone, Han Jieli had faced almost no interruptions.
“Commander Han!”
“Commander Wang!”
“Good afternoon, sir!”
The sound of colleagues chatting with unusual enthusiasm came from the corridor outside the door. Han Jieli was momentarily taken aback and slowly stood up. A few seconds later, the door was pushed open, revealing Han Guowei and Wang Hongjun standing at the entrance, both looking at him with strange expressions.
“Sir…!”
Han Jieli quickly straightened his body and saluted.
“Either you two chat individually, or I’ll head to the Operations Department to check on the plans for the Southwest Rotation Battle.”
Wang Hongjun hesitated for a moment but still stepped back, while Han Guowei silently walked over and sat down beside Han Jieli.
“Uncle, why did you suddenly come here?”
Noticing Han Guowei’s peculiar expression, Han Jieli cautiously sat on the edge of his chair and lowered his voice.
“Two pieces of news, one good, one bad.”
Han Guowei wasted no time in front of the military personnel, directly grabbing the half-finished tea cup that Han Jieli had been drinking from and downing it in one go before heavily placing the cup back on the table.
Looking at Guowei’s slightly fatigued face, Han Jieli said nothing, just waited.
“What’s up? Have you changed your temperament? You don’t know how to play along?”
Han Guowei joked before sighing. “Last night, Feng Jiulong of the Hermit Alliance died. His body was found in a villa on Victoria Peak in Hong Kong, with nearly all his blood and internal organs removed. The forensic examination indicates he died less than forty-eight hours ago.”
“Feng Jiulong, the major smuggler, actually died in Hong Kong? Well, Uncle, does this count as good news or bad news?” Han Jieli asked in shock, confused.
“Of course, it’s bad news. We’ve confirmed from multiple sources that the Hermit Alliance has internal issues. They had high-ranking members killed during the aerial assault led by Zhen Guangquan at the beginning of last month, that unfortunate incident for the Wang family. The remaining high-ranking members have started vying for power.”
Han Guowei’s mouth twitched, seemingly recalling the Zhen Guangquan incident.
“Feng Jiulong has long been involved in underground smuggling in the south, slippery as an eel, and has always been an unstable element. I heard he has conflicts with the Liang family, and during their potential split, he wouldn’t shy away from stirring up trouble.”
Han Jieli thought for a moment, took out an intelligence document from his folder, and placed it in front of Han Guowei. “Director Ye asked me to help with the analysis of information regarding the vampire clan within the Southern Monitoring Zone range. I found that a considerable amount of smuggled foreign vampire secret medicines has Feng Jiulong’s shadow behind it.”
“So, Uncle, even if the black blood clan is involved, Feng Jiulong’s death isn’t necessarily a bad thing for us, right?”
“It’s not that simple… The intelligence bureau is already investigating the person who ambushed Feng Jiulong. I suspect it’s related to the Liang family’s rebel group.”
Han Guowei shook his head and directly pushed away the information his nephew had presented, his expression becoming serious. “Shouldn’t you know something from Ye Zhijun?”
A few days ago, I had a fierce confrontation with the Liang family’s rebel group.
The Liang family, which had degenerated into a black blood clan, had completely mixed with hostile external forces and had become extremely arrogant. They used Fuzhilan to control the lower-level vampires and had no hesitation in employing the Frankenstein serum…
Han Jieli nodded urgently. “Yeah, I heard. So for this Southwest Rotation Battle, Commander Wang will secretly shift elite troops to the Southern Monitoring Zone to support you, Uncle.”
Han Guowei continued, “Feng Jiulong, at the beginning of this month, was actually reaching out to us through intermediaries, wanting to collaborate… The last operation was based on critical intel he provided, which allowed me to grab onto the Liang family’s tail. The personnel for the second operation I’m preparing will also include his people.”
“He’s actively seeking cooperation and even wants to send people to participate? What does he want to gain?”
As soon as Han Guowei finished speaking, Han Jieli’s mouth fell open in shock and he remained silent for a long time.
Another associate of Feng Jiulong, Deng Baoyi, had already been confirmed dead in northern Myanmar, reportedly colluding with the Myanmar black blood clan and got cleaned up. Three consecutive elders of the Hermit Alliance had died, causing a total collapse of internal power. Feng Jiulong knew someone was after him, and he wanted to protect himself, which is why he was forced to approach us.
Han Guowei sighed, looking quite helpless. “In the past, I would have preferred them to tear at each other, but now with the Liang family divided and their family strength severely diminished, all that’s left are half-dead elderly nobility and a few young cats, while the Wang family is strategically retracting.”
No matter how slippery Feng Jiulong was before, he was at least publicly opposing the black blood clan, and occasionally, he had some small understanding with us. But now, the dark arrows are left to fight alone in the south…
“This time, alongside Feng Jiulong, one of his famous barons died, while the fates of several other barons remain unknown. It’s reported that some ordinary people were inadvertently harmed near the scene, indicating that the opponents have become so audacious that they completely disregard our existence.”
“Therefore, given this violent blood feud incident involving the black blood clan occurring in Hong Kong, the secret police squad of the Special Administrative Region has indicated they cannot cooperate with my second operation. Instead, they’ve privately bypassed me and Wu Zhongxian to seek help from the central government, hoping the Southern Monitoring Zone will send troops to support the Special Administrative Region. Sigh…”
After finishing, Han Guowei rubbed his temples with his right hand, clearly fatigued.
Regarding the changes in Hong Kong, Han Jieli also fell silent. He understood that higher-ups favored all matters concerning the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, as that was the darling of the Huaguo family.
In the past, all covert security work in Hong Kong was managed by the British. Following the return at the end of the last century, dark arrows helped the Special Administrative Region government establish a secret police squad from the ground up.
However, over more than twenty years, this secret police squad in Hong Kong has still not achieved complete independence. Many times, they not only fail to help but also tend to distract the Southern Monitoring Zone.
Nevertheless, in a densely populated area of over seven million people, relying on a secret police squad of just over two hundred personnel from top to bottom makes it quite challenging to manage all aspects.
“Well then… What about the good news?”
Han Jieli felt that as a small fry, he couldn’t offer his uncle any good advice regarding such larger strategic issues, so he could only change the topic.
Han Guowei forced a smile and pointed at Han Jieli’s chest. “That’s the reason I flew to City C early this morning. Firstly, to discuss the reinforcement cooperation issues with Commander Wang; secondly, news has been relayed from the Wang family early this morning that the day after tomorrow, Wednesday, you will meet with them.”
“They’re still keeping the location secret, saying we’ll find out when the time comes… They’re being cautious, only now informing us of the meeting time. If I wanted to prepare some intelligence deployment work in advance, it might be too late.”
After speaking, Han Guowei seemed to feel a sense of regret.
“Uh, Uncle, considering we’re still relatives, and it’s a significant matter regarding the resumption of relations on both sides, are you really planning to use the opportunity to probe some details about the Wang family…”
Han Jieli began to sweat profusely, quickly understanding his uncle’s little intentions.
Previously, messages were conveyed through various intermediaries, but now, face to face, and the other party’s members are at least high-ranking central figures. If dark arrows knew the timing and location in advance, considering Han Guowei and Ye Zhijun, who had long been involved in intelligence planning, it could be said that not wanting to dig out something would be akin to saying the sun rose in the west.
“Relatives? This is a matter of national security; do you really think they will be easy to deal with? Since everyone is on guard against each other, who are we to talk about intrigue? Such an opportunity has been rare since dark arrows were established.”
Han Guowei appeared quite thick-skinned, speaking as if he had righteousness on his side.
“You don’t need to worry about this. I have communicated with Commander Wang Hongjun. He will let the intelligence department expedite preparations. Additionally, Director Ye is currently in Hong Kong dealing with the Feng Yonglong case and can’t get free, but he will arrange some support personnel from the intelligence bureau tomorrow. I will be here to oversee everything.”
Han Guowei stood up, firmly patting his nephew’s shoulder, put on his military cap, and strode out of the confidential meeting room.
Less than forty-eight hours left until the day after tomorrow; what can possibly be arranged… uh, what should I wear at that time, who will show up, is there anything I need to avoid, and how do I calculate the kinship?
Han Jieli suddenly felt a bit excited, and his mind began to run wild with thoughts, as if his heart had already flown into the future.
……
……
In the afternoon, at the top floor of a high-end office building in the G District of City C, employees of the Axintesi Company, after dining out, returned to their workstations in groups, resuming their relatively light business tasks.
Axintesi had been established for less than two months. Although hiring had never stopped, there were only about forty people in total, two-thirds of whom were female.
The company’s specific import and export business was primarily managed by its southwest office, while the headquarters in City C mainly focused on customer communication via the internet or through phone marketing and document processing.
With an excellent working environment, high salaries, and light workloads, the new employees at Axintesi found themselves with plenty of time and energy for daily gossip.
Their young and domineering CEO chose a person named Jiang Yao as his administrative assistant, naturally becoming the subject of gossip among everyone.
“Hey, do you think Assistant Jiang’s light golden hair is dyed or natural?”
“Tsk tsk, I thought General Zhong would prefer more intellectual women, but he still chose a vase…”
“Hey, hey, she doesn’t look twenty, she’s so young! At this little age, she’s already got a natural look for seducing men…”
“Hmph, you guys must be regretting it. You’re all dressing up as literary girls or urban beauties every day. Now, you won’t even get a chance…”
“Stop it, I heard Assistant Jiang is the big boss behind the scenes’ person; this is called business supervision. You’re just making wild guesses!”
In the pantry area of the office, four or five young female employees were chatting animatedly, and just then, Jiang Yao walked in, selecting a drink from the vending machine, resulting in several meaningful gazes being directed at her.
Dressed in a professional OL outfit that didn’t quite match her natural vibe, Jiang Yao appeared a bit more composed than usual, but still seemed inexperienced and forced, especially with those high heels, which caused her considerable discomfort.
In truth, Jiang Yao had heard their comments; at that moment, her face was cold, gripping the bottle of drink tightly, and she shot an angry glare at the girl who had been talking the most.
Jiang Yao’s expression made the gossip in the pantry come to a halt in an instant, and after a few seconds, everyone dispersed.
Heh, are you here to work or to flirt with the boss? How shameless…
Jiang Yao murmured to herself, muttering a series of complaints only she could hear as she returned to her desk near Zhong Jing’s office.
“Xiao Yao, don’t listen to their nonsense… Those ordinary women just invest their youth into such things, after a decade or so, you’ll see…”
Xiao Guo and Xiao Lian had entered the company a few days earlier than Jiang Yao, and given their real ages and experiences, they naturally understood the nature of some people and gently comforted her. Especially Xiao Guo, who almost snorted at the few women she deemed most ridiculous.
Indeed, why do I bother with them? In thirty years, I’ll probably be the same; they, heh… Jiang Yao suddenly felt a sense of relief, her sideways glance at those who had commented earlier was filled with disdain.
Suddenly, Jiang Yao froze for a moment before slowly turning her head to look at the manager’s office behind the glass partition, a hint of discomfort appearing on her face.
Zhong Jing is just an ordinary person; what will he be like in his fifties? Jiang Yao’s fleeting moment of pride evaporated, replaced by a sense of discomfort.
After contemplating, Jiang Yao took her small bag and walked into Zhong Jing’s office.
“…Yes, we can send technical staff to train at the EVN Group headquarters; however, we must confirm that the production line equipment for the pharmaceutical workshop must be sourced in Huaguo for easier maintenance in the future.”
After the call, Zhong Jing looked up and noticed Jiang Yao quietly standing on the opposite side of the desk, slightly nervous.
“I can only stay here half a day. If you have specific questions, you can discuss them with Xiao Hei or Xiao Lian; they are the business supervisors. If you really can’t sort it out, call me.”
Zhong Jing stood up, seemingly about to leave, while he picked up his suit jacket. His gaze landed on the small bag that Jiang Yao was holding and the somewhat strange expression on her face.
“Anything wrong?”
Zhong Jing glanced at the partly closed office door and lowered his voice.
“Hey, He Jianqinya is also helping you make money, huh? A few people outside just said I’m the kind of, you know, secretary.”
Jiang Yao pouted, her words somewhat prickly.
“What kind? What kind?”
Zhong Jing was somewhat puzzled.
“Like the kind of secretary who only does things when there’s work and hangs around when there’s nothing… Tsk tsk, typical domineering CEO template.”
Jiang Yao rolled her eyes and blurted out, her face reddening slightly.
Zhong Jing chuckled dumbly, walking around the desk and standing in front of Jiang Yao, pointing at the small bag in her hand:
“You came in just to suppress me… Speak up; do you need me to do something?”
Jiang Yao retrieved an envelope from her bag and extended it towards Zhong Jing: “My sister asked you to help her remit money; the recipients are a bit many, so try to spread it across different accounts.”
Zhong Jing took the envelope in confusion, returned to his desk, and pulled out a few sheets of letter paper, reading them carefully.
Minutes later, Zhong Jing raised his head, even more perplexed: “You need to remit a hundred people a total of one million? Is she overflowing with compassion, giving away so much at once…”
“Um, just see if you can handle it; if it’s too difficult, forget it. I find it quite troublesome too…”
Jiang Yao turned her head away, not looking into Zhong Jing’s eyes.
These were handled by Jiang Yao, and the information of Xia Yan and Gu Yao had been completely redacted.
Zhong Jing stroked his chin, recalling a previous time when Jiang Yan had asked him to remit money for someone, which ended up causing a bloody incident.
It’s not out of the question; we, the Hyacinth group, generally operate through Wang family agents in Hong Kong. However, there may not be that many accounts available for remittance; I will inform them to distribute it as much as possible. However, they will need to charge some fees.
Zhong Jing directly used his mobile app to scan the letter, quickly storing all the information in his phone.
Um, my sister would transfer the money to your account later. Speaking of which, Zhong Jing, tonight…
Jiang Yao’s voice became softer, her expression somewhat shy.
Zhong Jing’s mouth twitched awkwardly, shrugging helplessly, signaling that it was difficult: “No, I have to go home today; my father hasn’t been feeling well these past few days.”
Heh, you scumbag, I meant I’m staying at my sister’s place for the night; she has something important to tell me! Tsk tsk, look at you; still saying my thoughts are dirty…
Jiang Yao shot him an indignant look and directly turned around to leave the room.
Zhong Jing was left feeling quite awkward.
……
It was barely after six in the evening when Jiang Yan left work early citing her period, which everyone took for granted.
Jiang Yao had been waiting at the old house for a long time and had even proactively bought ingredients for dinner. She rarely cooked in her new home, usually relying entirely on takeout; being summoned back this time to eat Jiang Yan’s cooking made her a bit more diligent.
“Why are you eating so little? Did something I made taste off?”
Seeing Jiang Yao put down her chopsticks after only two bowls of rice, Jiang Yan felt somewhat puzzled.
“I don’t know; everything I ate at noon just didn’t sit right, but I also got hungry quickly, I drank about seven or eight bottles of yogurt.”
Jiang Yao was also feeling quite dejected, so she could only gulp down a large bottle of juice instead.
Jiang Yan took out some fruit from the fridge, cutting it up as a substitute for Jiang Yao’s poor appetite, then sat down and began explaining tomorrow’s arrangements: “Tomorrow, Sister Wan will take us to meet the Duchess of the Wang family; we’ll stay for two days; there are some courtesies I need to explain to you…”
Jiang Yao silently listened, no longer showing the curiosity or emotional fluctuations she used to, as if she had long had mental expectations about this arrangement.
“Xiao Yao, I won’t hide it from you; it’s definitely related to our current situation. However, the only support we can rely on now is from Sister Wan and the Wang family. All their arrangements are made from the most secure angle.”
“Okay, I’ll go take a shower first. Eat slowly. Don’t stay up too late tonight; Sister Wan will come to pick us up early tomorrow.”
Jiang Yan tried to express herself in a gentle manner, but seeing that Jiang Yao didn’t have any special emotional response, she sighed quietly in her heart. She knew her sister still had plenty of small emotions, but had learned to hide them.
Most secure? Does that include treating me like livestock, arranging for artificial insemination? Hehe, I know it’s all for my good…
Watching Jiang Yan walk into the bathroom, Jiang Yao let out a cold snort and carried a plate of fruit back to her second bedroom in the old house.
After placing the fruit plate on the computer desk, she quickly returned to the doorway, peeking toward the bathroom, hearing the sound of the shower inside, and quickly dashed into Jiang Yan’s room.
Like a little dog, she sniffed around, checking the bedclothes and pillows among other bedding items.
Not feeling fully reassured, Jiang Yao ran back to her own room and repeated the checks, only then feeling at ease as she sat down at the computer desk.
No one else’s scent in the house…
Jiang Yao muttered to herself as she casually pulled out her phone, intending to call Zhong Jing to log on for some gaming.
