Chapter 180 - 178
"Hmph. What a show of authority! Hongqian, have your people sort this out!"
Jiang Li knew she had achieved her goal. While they had dealt with many of them last time, she felt they had still missed quite a few.
After giving the order, Yu Zhen Guo glanced at the pendant in his hand. "I put this on Shuzhen myself for her hundred-day celebration."
With red-rimmed eyes, Yu Zhen Guo looked up at Jiang Li and Yu Huannian. "Did Shuzhen say anything before she died?"
Jiang Li shook her head.
"My girl must have resented me for it. And rightly so... I wasn’t capable enough to protect her." Yu Zhen Guo wiped away a tear and placed the pendant back in her hand.
"Since Shuzhen left it to you, you should be the one to keep it safe." As he spoke, Yu Zhen Guo patted Jiang Li’s arm.
"If you’re willing, you can call me Grandpa from now on."
Yu Huannian’s brow furrowed so deeply you could have crushed a fly in the wrinkles. ’Isn’t this family reunion happening a little too fast?’
"Grandpa."
Yu Huannian stared at Jiang Li in shock.
A smile spread across Jiang Li’s face. She called out "Grandpa" again. Seeing Yu Huannian just staring at her dumbly, she reached up and gave him a light smack.
"What are you spacing out for? Call him Grandpa."
"G-Grandpa?"
"Yes! Wonderful, wonderful." Yu Zhen Guo beamed, his eyes darting happily between the two of them.
’Jiang Li has sharp reflexes and a quick mind. And while Yu Huannian is a bit stone-faced and slow on the uptake, he’s stronger than the average person.’
’Just as you’d expect from the children his girl had chosen.’
Yu Zhen Guo nodded in satisfaction.
"Good children. The New Year is coming up. How about you spend it here at your grandpa’s home?"
Yu Zhen Guo looked at Jiang Li and Yu Huannian, his eyes full of anticipation.
Jiang Li politely declined. "Grandpa, we have to go back for now. But don’t worry, I have a feeling we’ll be seeing a lot of each other in the future."
Yu Huannian glanced at Jiang Li on the sly, getting the distinct impression that she was rather excited about this.
Lu Xingye smiled. He, too, agreed with Jiang Li’s decision. ’This is a genuine, powerful backer.’
Hearing her words, Yu Zhen Guo didn’t press the issue. "Alright. This is my phone number. As for Yu Hongqian, you can just call him Big Brother. You also have an aunt who married into the Chi Family."
Just as Yu Zhen Guo finished speaking, he saw Chi Yu walk in.
"Xiao Yu, we were just talking about you. Quick, come over here."
Chi Yu had been busy at the hospital all night and had come over to tell them about what was happening with Ji Yan’s base.
Ji Yan had been holding more than a dozen people captive at his base, ranging from children to an elder in their seventies.
These people had now been taken to the hospital for treatment, but the prognoses were not looking good.
The trauma from such long-term torture wasn’t something that could be healed overnight.
Chi Yu stepped forward and greeted him respectfully, "Grandfather."
Yu Zhen Guo nodded in satisfaction. "Xiao Yu, this is Jiang Li and Yu Huannian. You all should have met already."
Chi Yu nodded and glanced at the pair.
"They are the children Shuzhen adopted. Your aunt... she’s... she’s gone now." As he said this, Yu Zhen Guo’s voice choked up again.
Chi Yu’s expression froze. On his way over, he had been wondering if the two of them were con artists. He’d even planned to persuade his grandfather to have them take a DNA test.
But he never expected them to be so forthright about who they were.
"Xiao Li, Xiao Nian, Xiao Yu is a few years older than you. Just call him ’Brother’."
"Brother." Yu Huannian, eager this time, called out. After he spoke, he waited for Jiang Li, but a few seconds later, he realized she hadn’t said a word.
???
Yu Huannian looked at Jiang Li, confused. ’Wasn’t she the eager one just a moment ago? What’s going on now?’
Jiang Li just nodded at Chi Yu, which she considered a simple enough greeting.
Yu Huannian raised a hand and rubbed his nose. ’This just makes me look like an idiot.’
In the end, swept up by Yu Zhen Guo’s enthusiasm, they all exchanged contact information.
"Grandfather, the people Ji Yan held captive were all orphans or beggars."
"Killing had become a form of stress relief for Ji Yan."
Yu Zhen Guo nodded. ’No wonder the police never noticed so many deaths. The victims were people whose very existence had been erased from the start.’
Jiang Li had more or less guessed as much. ’If any of them had families, they would have been reported missing long ago.’
That afternoon, Yu Hongqian took Jiang Li to Ji Yan’s base.
Jiang Li looked at the mechanical gate before her. As she walked in, lights flickered on automatically. The layout was vast, with designated areas for firearms and food supplies.
Jiang Li pushed open a door and found a setup whose scale rivaled that of a professional agency.
A post-apocalyptic vibe emanated from the room.
After looking around, Jiang Li walked out. "What’s going to happen to this place?"
Yu Hongqian looked at her. "It’s going to become a pile of rubble."
Yu Hongqian led her to another area, where a massive timer was counting down.
The sight made Jiang Li’s scalp tingle. "Ji Yan knew he was going to Russia, so he planned to destroy all this after he left?"
Yu Hongqian nodded. "The experts have already taken a look. It’s too complex. There isn’t enough time."
"All we can do now is evacuate the surrounding residents."
Jiang Li found herself admiring Ji Yan’s brilliance once again. ’What a shame he didn’t use it for good.’
After spending a night at the Yu residence, Jiang Li and the others departed the next day.
Lu Xingye’s phone had been blown up with calls from Zhou Tiancheng and the others. They only quieted down after learning that everyone was safe.
A few days after they returned, the New Year arrived. Wu Ming bought them all sets of bright red clothes, making them look full of festive cheer, and they took a family photo.
Their days were filled with joy, and with her tendency to move on quickly, Jiang Li gradually put all her troubles behind her.
The matter with Ji Yan had angered Ivan so much that he ended up in the hospital. Now, all he could do was stare wistfully at the fireworks outside.
After a moment, his assistant walked in carrying food.
Ivan coughed twice and turned to look at him. "Cole, I want a child. I want a child..."
Cole looked at him. "Your Grace, we could adopt one?"
He had barely finished speaking when Ivan shook his head. "No. I want a child of my own."
Cole understood. He turned and left to make the arrangements.
...
After the New Year, Ji Qinghe was promoted to Director, and Zhou Tiancheng and the others also moved up in rank.
When Jiang Li heard that Ji Qinghe had become the new director, she went to congratulate her with a gift.
Ji Qinghe’s eyes welled with tears as she stepped forward to hug Jiang Li. "Jiang Li, thank you. If it weren’t for you, I never would have made it to where I am today."
Jiang Li smiled happily. "Congratulations, Director Ji. I’ll be counting on you to have my back from now on!"
Zhou Tiancheng watched the scene with red-rimmed eyes. It felt like their police department’s suffering had finally come to an end.
Before the New Year, he had been afraid several times that their case would be suppressed by the higher-ups. He never imagined that this time, thanks to Jiang Li’s connection with the Yu Family, the decision would be made without any resistance.
After the official celebration, Ji Qinghe treated Jiang Li to another meal and prepared gifts for her and her friends.
Two months passed peacefully. Life was so uneventful that Jiang Li started to think her abilities had disappeared.
"That’s right, extract their brain marrow! The fresher, the better!"
"No, SOB... It hurts! Don’t come any closer!"
"Mommy, Daddy, Chenchen is so scared! I want to go home."
A sharp pain zapped through Jiang Li’s head. She looked up at the scene before her, her eyes widening in terror.