The next day, Mrs. Cheng fell from upstairs and was admitted to the hospital due to the severity of her condition. She was placed in the top floor ICU. Cheng Wei spent most of his time at the hospital taking care of his mother, while Cheng Qingqing visited whenever she had time. Even Cheng Xiang, who was busy with his casework, made several trips to the hospital each day. Except for Cheng Cheng, who didn't show up for a day, no one knew what was going on.
Over the decades, Mrs. Cheng and her children had a close relationship, and she knew everything in her heart. However, she pretended not to know anything and just followed Cheng Wei's instructions. In her heart, everything Cheng Wei did was justified.
After seeing off the attending doctor, Cheng Wei called Cheng Xiang to a secluded chair and said, "Your mother's fall was serious this time. Put aside your work and focus on accompanying her."
Facing his stubborn son, Cheng Wei felt uncertain. Cheng Xiang's expression made Cheng Wei angry, and he ordered sternly, "This time, you must set aside the case and stay with your mother. Otherwise, I, Cheng Wei, will disown you!"
"Father..." Cheng Xiang was taken aback by his father's unusual behavior. Could it be that there were hidden facts about his mother's condition, and his father wanted all his children to be with her during her final moments?
"Remember my words." After speaking, Cheng Wei went to see Mrs. Cheng, leaving Cheng Xiang feeling uneasy. He eventually went to the attending doctor to inquire about Mrs. Cheng's condition.
In the spacious and bright office, the attending doctor looked embarrassed and reluctantly advised Cheng Xiang to spend more time with his mother. The vague answers further confirmed Cheng Xiang's suspicions. He had rarely shed a tear even when he fell or bled as a child, but now, tears welled up in his eyes.
As he stood by the window of the ICU, watching his father gently wipe his mother's face with a towel, Cheng Xiang lingered for a long time before leaving. As he walked away, tears fell to the ground.
Amidst his grief, Cheng Xiang finally made up his mind. Ignoring the murder case and taking leave from work, he went home and personally cooked chicken porridge for his father. Mrs. Cheng couldn't eat anything now, and with several IV drips a day, she didn't feel hungry.
Meanwhile, chaos ensued in the Shangguan household. Shangguan Ning was unhappy about being confined to her room and banged on the door to get out, ignoring the persuasion of Shangguan Li and her mother. Shangguan Jianjun, who had been listening to the commotion, angrily scolded her. The servants were trembling with fear, not daring to make a sound.
After returning to the special base and training for a week, Huayan received another mission of F level and set off again. The F-level mission was located in the Golden Triangle, where Huayan and several others needed to secretly rescue a female police officer from a drug lord's captivity.
The area was controlled by private armed forces and warlords. They could rival the local government and the female police officer was detained by a major European drug lord cooperating with these local armed forces.
The local police had reached a preliminary agreement with the armed forces, but the drug lord had over two hundred armed men. As a result, the chances of successfully rescuing the officer were only fifteen to twenty percent.
Before departing, Huayan and her team applied a special plant oil to their bodies. After an hour in the sunlight, their skin would become dark and shiny, making them resemble the locals. Dressed in worn-out and dull-colored clothes, they entered the Golden Triangle from Myanmar and headed towards Qingcheng County in the mountains.
Along the way, they saw vast fields of opium poppies, their beauty tempting but deadly. Like the mandrake, they tempted people to approach and meet their doom. With caution, Huayan and her team continued their journey to Qingcheng County.
Just as Lao Qiao was about to have a sip with Lao Yang, a phone call startled him. He stuttered, "You... you said... what? Someone... disappeared? Immediately send more people to find out!"
"What happened?" Lao Yang asked.
"Something big happened!" Lao Qiao exclaimed, rushing out of the office with Lao Yang following.
Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.
On the way to the hospital, Lao Yang finally learned the gist of the matter. Under the surveillance of Cheng Wei's people, someone disguised themselves as a passerby and checked on their situation at noon. Upon discovery that Cheng Wei and his wife were missing, they continued the investigation, revealing shocking news: Cheng Wei, his wife, and their two children were all missing.
It was as if the Cheng family had grown wings and flown away. The entire hospital was turned upside down, but not a single trace of them was found. Even checks on immigration records by sea, land, and air yielded nothing. Senior officials and Lao Qiao were caught off guard by the news.
"How did the news from the Shangguan family suddenly turn into news about the Cheng family?" Lao Yang asked.
Lao Qiao sighed with self-reproach and pounded the car in frustration. He said, "Both sides were watching closely. On the one hand, they didn't believe they would run away so quickly, and on the other hand, we underestimated their power. In the past, these high-ranking officials wouldn't flee unless absolutely necessary, but Cheng Wei ran fast, and clean." After speaking, Lao Qiao couldn't help but hit the car a few more times. His mood was too complex to put into words.
"What did the higher-ups say about this?" Lao Yang asked.
"I was scolded." Lao Qiao smiled bitterly.
"This is indeed something to be scolded for. Letting them slip away right under our noses, and with their whole family."
"Yeah, it's deserved."
Just as they got off the plane, Cheng Wei's family was shielded by people from both sides, a result of Cheng City's covert activities. His first step of escape had finally succeeded, but upon boarding a seemingly dilapidated minivan, Cheng Xiang had had enough.
He asked, "Dad, why are we rushing like this? It feels like we're running away!"
In an instant, Cheng Wei's face darkened, his expression complex. Faced with his son's righteousness, he felt ashamed and angry. "Shut up, it's none of your business!" Cheng Qingqing saw her father so fierce for the first time and cowered behind her mother like a timid rabbit.
Noticing his daughter's fear, Cheng Wei's expression softened slightly as he looked out at the situation outside the car, saying nothing.
Having understood something, Cheng Xiang froze dumbfounded. Suddenly, he reached for the door handle, but Cheng Wei swiftly slapped him down to the ground. Then, a man with sunglasses sat by the door, blocking the way.
Cheng Wei cursed angrily, "Stop messing around! If we get caught, our whole family will be in trouble!" But Cheng Xiang remained restless; it felt as if an evil beast had swallowed his heart, leaving him shocked and bewildered.
Speechless, Cheng Xiang stopped moving, but when he looked up again, the resentment and helplessness in his eyes couldn't be wiped away. Since childhood, his father had been his hero, and his hard work was to avoid tarnishing his father's reputation.
"You..." Cheng Wei's raised palm was about to strike but ultimately lowered. Cheng Mother, feeling sorry for her husband, stepped forward, holding his hand and comforting him.
Cheng Wei leaned against her, closing his eyes without saying a word. There was no feeling before escaping, but once on the run, Cheng Wei realized it was like stepping into the gates of hell.
No matter how conflicted Cheng Wei felt, he safely led his family to the final border station. However, due to their arranged contact being suddenly reassigned, their crossing time was delayed.
In the middle of the night, after everyone had fallen asleep, Cheng Xiang, whose phone had been confiscated, quietly climbed out of the window. With only dim streetlights and closed shops, he wandered through several streets until he found an entertainment venue. Borrowing a phone from someone there, he hesitated for a few minutes before making a call. However, he only mentioned where they would cross the border and nothing else, not even his identity.
Afterward, he slipped a few hundred yuan bills to the owner of the phone and quietly returned to his room, unnoticed by Cheng Wei.
Suddenly receiving news that Cheng Wei's hiding place had been discovered, Lao Qiao and Lao Yang flew non-stop to the southern border. "I remember Huayan's mission location is near the border, right?"
"Yes, it's indeed not too far away. Why, do you have any ideas?"
"Cheng Wei's daughter, Cheng Qingqing, and his son, Cheng Xiang, have a special relationship with her. If she's involved, without resorting to violence, the chances of Cheng Wei surrendering increase. Originally, having her participate in rescuing the drug enforcement policewoman was also meant to train her."
"Yes, this method is feasible."
Later, Huayan received a wireless message and returned to the border alone. The Cheng family's troubles saddened her deeply. Thinking of the innocent Cheng Qingqing and how she would face this, and the stubborn Cheng Xiang, who would be even more devastated with his personality.
Lao Qiao's team only knew Cheng Wei's temporary hiding place, but nothing else, such as who supported them along the way and who helped them at the final station.
While the surface of the border seemed calm, surveillance had already begun internally, with elite special police officers waiting for Cheng Wei to be caught. Additionally, someone was secretly investigating all the hotels and suspicious individuals in the county near the border station.
Despite many people working tirelessly day and night, Cheng Wei's whereabouts remained elusive. Some began to suspect that the news was false information meant to mislead them. Ultimately, Lao Qiao focused their main efforts on this lead.
When Huayan arrived at the border station, Cheng Wei's group made their move. Just before boarding the car, Cheng Xiang tugged at Cheng Wei's clothing...