Chapter 687: A Big Day
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Yin Shixiong had tried many ways for the past three days. He was just short of bringing guns and just barging in, but the deputy chief refused to let him go in with the excuse that he was worried that there would be an “information leak.” But without the help and information from the central control room, how the hell could he save anyone?! He couldn’t even confirm the location of the GPS system previously!
Yin Shixiong was anxious by now. He had written countless reports to Huo Guanchen and General Ji, but these two men wanted him to not be anxious and said that it was okay to delay it for two days. They wanted to wait for the results of the election to be announced and the entire election to be over first before allowing Yin Shixiong to use the central control room.
Yin Shixiong had grown more white hair due to the anxiety, but he did not have any other methods. Eventually, he even called He Zhichu, but He Zhichu had wanted to know if he had any other information. When he heard that Huo Shaoheng still did not know about this, He Zhichu hung up on him. When he tried calling back, he couldn’t get through anymore.
Yin Shixiong suspected that He Zhichu had blacklisted his number. To be honest, Yin Shixiong understood He Zhichu’s point of view. Even he wanted to blacklist his own number! Useless thing!
Poor Nianzhi. No one knew how much she had been through, but all he could do was to look around like a lost sheep. The Special Forces that was almighty overseas was so useless in its own country. He understood clearly that a Special Forces without Mr. Huo wasn’t the Special Forces that he was used to…
He was extremely anxious for three whole days. When he saw Ma Qiqi’s number on his phone, he picked it up without thinking and connected it to his Bluetooth earpiece. “Any news, Qiqi?” Yin Shixiong stopped his morning training and slowed down on the track. He did not want to scare Ma Qiqi with his anxiety. However, Ma Qiqi scared him the moment she began talking.
She was screaming on the other end. “News?! I told you so long ago. Why are you not going to save Nianzhi yet?! It has already been three days! Three days! They electrocuted Nianzhi! it was so scary! Ahhhh–! I cannot take this anymore! Just let me scream!”
“Electrocuted?!” Yin Shixiong went pale. A man who was above six feet in height stopped abruptly on the track. He was almost trembling. Holding onto a tree, he asked, “Be clear! Was there more news?”
“Let me send you the footage! You take a look!” Even though Ma Qiqi was in a frantic state of mind, she had managed to save the footage and sent it to Yin Shixiong.
Yin Shixiong received it in no time and pressed the “play” button. The Bluetooth earpiece was immediately filled with Gu Nianzhi’s screams. They sounded louder by the second to his ears. The pictures on the phone were not exactly clear. The phone model seemed old, so the resolution was not great. It was also shaky. However, it made Gu Nianzhi’s already swollen face look worse.
Yin Shixiong wavered and fell onto the ground. He realized that tears were streaming down his face. The soldiers who were doing morning training with him looked at him and asked each other, “What’s up with Lieutenant Colonel Yin?”
“He looks so sad… Did anything happen at home?” Some of them who knew him walked over to console him. “Lieutenant Colonel Yin, let us take you back?”
Yin Shixiong wiped his tears, pushed the people away, and ran. He used all the energy he had and ran like lightning. He ran to Huo Shaoheng’s mansion and changed into his uniform. Taking the key, he got into the car and stepped on the accelerator. He could not wait anymore. He had to report to General Ji and General Huo to inform Mr. Huo immediately! He knew that Mr. Huo’s private jet should be arriving at Hua Xia Empire’s international airport soon!
Yin Shixiong drove to General Ji’s home in the military headquarters first. However, upon arriving at the entrance, he was informed that General Ji had already left to take part in the new prime minister, Tan Dongbang’s, first television conference.
He left without saying another word and headed out to look for Huo Shaoheng’s father, Huo Guanchen. Other than General Ji, the only other person who could make decisions on this would be General Huo.
Huo Guanchen was home. Seeing Yin Shixiong, who was drenched in perspiration, he furrowed his brows and lectured him. “How can you be looking like that? Where’s the code of conduct for a soldier? Did you decide to just throw it away?!”
Yin Shixiong couldn’t even catch his breath. He handed Huo Guanchen his phone and panted. “Si… Sir… Please allow me to inform Mr. Huo this instant! Nianzhi is already in grave danger!” With that, he used his phone to show him the footage that Ma Qiqi sent him.
Huo Guanchen looked at the footage and turned to Yin Shixiong. “Where did this come from?”
“…Someone sent it to me.”
“And you believed that person immediately? What if it is a trap? Have you verified the authenticity of the footage?” Huo Guanchen sounded even more upset. “Looking at how you are, most likely you believed it the moment you saw it, didn’t you? How could you not know that this could be the scheme of the enemy?! Lieutenant Colonel Yin, you’re Shaoheng’s secretary! You’re not Gu Nianzhi’s father! Panicking over such a trivial matter, how could you achieve anything more?!”
Yin Shixiong was scolded badly by Huo Guanchen. When he was about to explain himself, Huo Guanchen changed his tone. “Okay. I’ve noted this. Let Shaoheng know after he’s back. But not today! It’s the new prime minister’s big day today. Shaoheng will have to attend the first television conference with him later. If you dare mention a single thing, I’ll punish you within military law!” He then asked for a soldier and commanded, “Follow Lieutenant Colonel Yin and protect his safety.”
Huo Guanchen knew that if Huo Shaoheng saw this footage, he couldn’t imagine what he would do. He must not see this footage no matter what.
“Yes, sir!” That soldier saluted and began following Yin Shixiong everywhere. Yin Shixiong was seeing red. Panting, he looked at Huo Guanchen with anxiety, but Huo Guanchen looked back at him coldly. He knew he had no choice.
Closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, he saluted Huo Guanchen. “Yes, sir! To obey commands!” Then he continued, “Sir, my phone…”
Huo Guanchen nodded, but did not return Yin Shixiong’s phone. “Shaoheng’s jet should be arriving soon. How is the security at the airport? You’re his secretary. You should be at the airport in charge of the security right now.”
Sending him to Huo Shaoheng but not allowing him to mention anything, and he even took his phone… Huo Guanchen was forcing him to take a stand! Now he even had a soldier following him everywhere. Yin Shixiong knew that he could not be rash anymore. He would definitely let Huo Shao know about the news, but he wouldn’t let himself get into trouble as well. If he got into trouble, there would be one less person who could save Nianzhi.
The people in the Special Forces were all smart. When they had to think outside the box, they still would not break the law. They would do what they could to abide by the law but get things done the way they wanted. Yin Shixiong left the headquarters with a heavy heart and let the soldier drive. He took the back seat and called Ma Qiqi with the phone in the car.
“Qiqi? This is Brother Xiong.” Yin Shixiong calmed his voice down, but Ma Qiqi still seemed weird.
“Can we speak properly, Brother Xiong?” Her voice was still choked from the crying, and she was using steeped tea leaves to stop her eyes from swelling too much.
“Haha, I am speaking properly.” Yin Shixiong laughed and continued, “Qiqi, I am unable to help you with the thing you wanted me to help with just now.”
“What?!” Ma Qiqi stood up. “Brother Xiong! I did not expect you to be so heartless!”
“It’s not that I am heartless.” Yin Shixiong spoke to her with the Bluetooth earpiece. “There are other things with priority. Mr. Huo is about to return soon. I’m going to pick him up now.”
“It’s Huo Shao?! Nianzhi’s boyfriend?!” Ma Qiqi panicked. “He’s back?! That’s great! You tell him!”
But Yin Shixiong didn’t seem to hear her and continued talking. “For this, I have to be in charge of the security at the airport. Mr. Huo’s flight will be landing in an hour. I will be at terminal three, the VIP exit. Yes. I’m sorry. I will be at the VIP exit at terminal three. I’ll be easy to spot.” With that, he hung up.
Ma Qiqi was confused. She cursed Yin Shixiong for not being trustworthy. She should not trust him anymore, as it was already too urgent. Gu Nianzhi might have already turned into ashes… She shivered as she thought of the footage she watched. As she was feeling vexed, she turned on the television and paced around the living room, thinking about who she could go to for help.
Suddenly, there was a violin playing on the television. Ma Qiqi glanced at it and saw that they were screening a documentary about Tan Dongbang. She smirked. This channel really changes quickly, she thought. They were badmouthing the Tans just a few days ago, but now that he was the prime minister, they were worshipping him already.
She did not want to look at the Tans, so she changed the channel. However, the other channel was also screening the same documentary. Ma Qiqi did not give up. She changed the channel again—same documentary! She changed all the channels in a minute, and every single channel was showing the same documentary! This was no different from New Year’s Eve! Are they trying to brainwash everyone now?!
Ma Qiqi snorted and threw the remote control. She hugged her little pillow and sat on the sofa, thinking about the strange things that Yin Shixiong had said just now. She felt that she had missed something important…
The television was introducing Tan Dongbang’s daughter, Tan Guiren. They praised her like she was priceless—clever and gorgeous, a music prodigy. She held her own concert in America’s Carnegie Mellon golden ballroom at the age of 15… All this made Ma Qiqi even more annoyed. She had already lost count of the number of times she rolled her eyes. Just when she was about to turn off the television, she saw that the screen had changed and showed Tan Guiren boarding the plane in America.
She knew that it had been recorded more than ten hours ago. The narrator’s voice was extremely gentle. “…The Vice Secretary of the Military Supreme Council, Huo Shaoheng, will be personally bringing Miss Tan Guiren back to the Hua Xia Empire. The flight will be landing anytime now at Hua Xia Empire’s International Airport, terminal three. Let’s link up with the reporters over at terminal three to see what it’s like.”