0091 100 Escape

A line of black cars sped past. The traffic on the way to the airport was heavy, but this line of black cars still attracted attention.

The sky gradually cleared, and people came and went in the airport. Sometime later, more airport staff appeared, patrolling the area.

Ling Xingzhi was reading a newspaper when a red carpet was laid out, and staff members walked around inside the private jet.

Just as the cabin door was about to close, several heavy footsteps sounded, and guards stood blocking the way. The leader walked up to Li Qingshan, said a few words, and Li Qingshan nodded before turning to walk towards Ling Xingzhi.

"Secretary, Mayor Pei is outside."

Ling Xingzhi, engrossed in his newspaper, asked, "Is something the matter?"

"He said he wanted to see you, and he wouldn't let the plane take off until he saw you."

Ling Xingzhi frowned, but his posture remained unchanged. "Let him in."

Pei Zhiyu walked in, followed by two plainclothes guards, still dressed as a groom.

“Secretary Ling, I’m sorry to bother you… My wife, Zhou Xiye, has disappeared. I’ve checked the surveillance footage; she met you once and then vanished,” Pei Zhiyu paused, her voice icy. “And you left the wedding banquet after meeting her… This is too much of a coincidence.”

Ling Xingzhi shook the newspaper, making a crisp sound as the paper folded, and looked up at Pei Zhiyu.

Pei Zhiyu looked unwell. Ling Xingzhi seemed reluctant to see her suffer, so he placed the newspaper on his lap, smiled, and said, "What does your wife's disappearance have to do with me?"

"I apologize for disturbing you, Secretary. I'm worried about my wife. First, I'm afraid someone might be doing something bad to her, which is why I'm anxious. Second, her sudden disappearance might be because she's angry with me."

Pei Zhiyu straightened her back and said sorry, but her behavior and attitude showed no remorse whatsoever.

"You stopped my plane to search it? Do you think your wife is hiding on this plane?"

Pei Zhiyu shook her head, "That's not what I meant. I just wanted to ask if you've seen her at the airport... I apologize for bothering you..."

Ling Xingzhi looked out the window, then slowly turned his head after a few seconds. His face was expressionless as he asked slowly and deliberately, "What do you mean? Do you think I would do anything bad to your wife?" Ling Xingzhi's expression changed, and his voice became sharp and angry. "You still know you're bothering me? Don't you know whose private jet this is? What if the person here is Committee Member Ling, not me? How would you explain that?"

Pei Zhiyu knew he was in the wrong, and he lost all his reason for Zhou Xiye.

Ling Xingzhi lowered his eyes and sighed softly, "Be rational. Is it worth risking everything for a woman?"

Pei Zhiyu gritted her teeth and lowered her head. "I'm sorry to have disturbed Secretary Ling. I'll take my men and leave right away."

After saying that, he turned and left the private jet.

As soon as they got off the plane, Pei Zhiyu asked the person next to her with a livid face, "Zhou Xiye is in this airport, right?"

"Yes, this is the only airport available. It's the only airport with flights from Beijing to Kunming today. And... we've also seen the surveillance footage, which captured Mrs. Zhou's face, confirming that she's here."

Pei Zhiyu looked up at the blue sky and said, "Then we'll search one plane at a time until we find her."

Inside the airport, an announcement suddenly came over the loudspeaker: "Dear passengers, due to air traffic control reasons, our flight will be delayed. Please wait patiently. Passengers who wish to have a meal, please contact our staff."

This broadcast was played on a loop for a long time.

Inside the airport terminal, many people dressed in black special police uniforms appeared and patrolled in formation.

"Excuse me, I have a question. Why is there a sudden traffic control? I have a meeting this afternoon, and if I don't fly now, I'll be too late..."

"What happened? Why was there a sudden delay? How long will the delay be?"

"..."

For some reason, the reason for all flight delays at the airport suddenly became: the arrest of a fugitive embezzler. Everyone was on edge, and the airline boss called the airport with only one reason: "A classified mission."

Airport staff were on tenterhooks as planes were inspected one by one, with crew members running around following them.

Ling Xingzhi also heard the broadcast; the private jet was already speeding down the runway. Fastening his seatbelt, Ling Xingzhi tilted his head back, leaned against the seat, and covered his face with a newspaper.

The memory flashes back to the last time Ling Xingzhi saw Zhou Xiye in the dressing room. She was wearing a white bathrobe, sitting on a vanity chair, with white lights around the mirror opposite her. She was very beautiful.

Fragile beauty, devoid of any vitality.

"Happy marriage, Zhou Xiye."

Zhou Xiye smiled, her gaze fixed on the box in his hand. "What are you doing here?"

Ling Xingzhi looked at her in the mirror. The box was placed on the table. "Giving a gift," he said, turning to the makeup artist beside him. "Excuse me, Miss Zhou and I will be alone for a while."

The makeup artist went out, leaving only the two of them in the room. Ling Xingzhi patted the box lightly, "I think... you need these."

Zhou Xiye took the box, opened it, and found her documents inside, including her ID card, visa, transfer letter, and some comfortable clothes and shoes.

She was somewhat shocked and looked up at Ling Xingzhi. Ling Xingzhi smiled and said, "Not satisfied?"

How did you know?

Ling Xingzhi shook his head, still smiling, "This should be worth more than Qi Baishi's paintings, don't you think?"

Zhou Xiye smiled, closed the box, Ling Xingzhi patted her shoulder, pointed to the door, and then walked out.

Ling Xingzhi went out and went to the restroom. He had indeed felt the urge to urinate after drinking alcohol and water. When he came out of the restroom, the corridor was full of security guards, walking quickly. Ling Xingzhi leaned against the wall, glanced at his watch—it had only been less than five minutes, hadn't it?

Does he have a prostate problem?

Was Zhou Xiye so quick? After waiting for a while, security personnel came and went in the corridor. Ling Xingzhi watched Pei Zhiyu walk out of Zhou Xiye's dressing room, and he could tell from the back that Pei Zhiyu was angry. Ling Xingzhi shook his head, not interested in going back to the front hall for dinner, and stepped out of the banquet hall. Li Qingshan and the others were waiting on the roadside.

He opened the car door, got in, and said, "Let's go to the airport."

The new driver was young, a girl. She didn't react immediately to what he said, and only started the car after Li Qingshan reminded her. The girl quickly apologized, sweat beading on her forehead. Ling Xingzhi smiled, "Don't be nervous, take your time."

Upon arriving at the airport, Li Qingshan got out and opened the car door for him. Before Ling Xingzhi had taken two steps, he saw two people getting off a motorcycle on the other side of the airport.

He had just seen one of the men, and the other looked somewhat familiar; he was the man who had been with Pei Zhiyu during the meeting.

The two were arguing fiercely, with Zhou Xiye slapping and punching them. The man neither dodged nor fought back, but held Zhou Xiye still.

Ling Xingzhi found it amusing and took a few steps forward. "Isn't it a bit inappropriate for someone so newly married to be arguing with a stranger in public? Secretary Zhou?" As he finished speaking, a gust of wind blew, ruffling his hair. Before he knew it, the sky was beginning to clear.

Zhou Xiye turned to look at Ling Xingzhi. She was wearing the tight black outfit that Ling Xingzhi had prepared for her, which accentuated her figure. The black leather jacket made her look particularly heroic.

"Secretary Ling? Oh, no, Ling Xingzhi, what business is it of yours here?" Zhou Xiye finished speaking, looked around, and saw that there were only airplanes and not many people.

Ling Xingzhi chuckled, "Crossing the river and then burning the bridge, that's not like your usual style, Secretary Zhou."

Shang Heming disliked others flirting with Zhou Xiye, so he stood in front of Zhou Xiye and asked, "Ling Xingzhi, is there something you need?"

Ling Xingzhi looked at him, then at Zhou Xiye, "I'm going to Kunming, Zhou Xiye, want to come with me?"

Upon hearing the words "Kunming" and the order to stop, Zhou Xiye's face darkened immediately. "What are you going there for?"

"Anyway, I'm not going to be a party secretary."

Zhou Xiye pursed her lips and looked at him. Ling Xingzhi didn't say anything, but looked over and met Zhou Xiye's gaze.

“I can take you to Kunming, why do you have to come to the airport?” Shang Heming said again, “I’ve said it before, I’m not like Pei Zhiyu. Yes, I also want you by my side, but that has to be with your consent. I won’t force you.”

"What are you doing now if not coercion?"

The two started arguing again. Ling Xingzhi shook his head and turned to walk towards the private jet. As he went up the stairs, he glanced back and saw the two still arguing, their tense atmosphere tinged with a strange intimacy.

Ling Xingzhi chuckled self-deprecatingly. The flight attendant, standing by the door, bowed slightly to him. Upon entering, the restroom was directly opposite. Ling Xingzhi went in and closed the door. He turned on the tap, washed his face, and looked at himself in the mirror. What was he thinking?

His wife was abroad seeking safety, and now he himself had to leave Beijing, looking utterly disheveled. Ling Xingzhi wiped his face; he had no idea what the report was all about. Had Wei Luochen once again provoked someone he shouldn't have?

"You shouldn't think like that," Ling Xingzhi said with a wry smile. Only the weak make excuses for their failures. Ling Qingyun's every move was also strange. First, he touched the biotechnology pie, then he compromised and supported his opponent's subordinate. While Ye Lifeng was eyeing the premiership, he went straight for the jugular and entered the cabinet.

No one expected this move, and Ling Xingzhi himself was unaware of it. He turned his head, reached out and pulled out a few sheets of paper from the side, wiping his face. Now, Ling Xingzhi had no idea whether his father's promise to support him as crown prince was also a ploy to get him to willingly help him without any trouble.

It now seems that his father has a greater chance of ascending the throne than he does.

Ling Xingzhi crumpled his hands into a ball and threw it into the trash can.

Pushing open the door and stepping out, Ling Xingzhi saw a group of people standing in front of him. He instinctively frowned and sighed irritably. Reaching his seat, he found the table well-stocked, including newspapers. He sat down, picked up a newspaper—the People's Daily edition—and read Ren Zhongping's editorial. After a few glances, he fastened his seatbelt at the flight attendant's reminder. Just minutes later, Pei Zhiyu burst in.

As the plane climbed higher, Xingzhi's ears started to hurt and buzz. After a few minutes, once the plane stabilized, his ears felt much better.

After a moment of comfort, someone suddenly removed the newspaper from his face, causing him to open his eyes with a hint of displeasure. Just as he was about to lash out, he saw the person in front of him, and his expression changed to surprise.

"Zhou Xiye, didn't you leave with him? How come you're here?"

Zhou Xiye nonchalantly waved the newspaper in his hand, sat down opposite him, and said, "Only your plane can fly." He turned around and waved to the flight attendant, "Give me a glass of orange juice and a plate of spaghetti." The flight attendant stood aside, looked at Ling Xingzhi, and then at Zhou Xiye.

The plane soared straight into the clouds, and a tranquil yet magnificent view unfolded before Zhou Xiye's eyes. She took a sip of orange juice, the sweet taste spreading in her mouth. Perhaps the taste was a little strange due to the altitude, but Zhou Xiye finally smiled.

This wasn't just the taste of orange juice; it was the taste of freedom. Ling Xingzhi was no longer surprised by Zhou Xiye's appearance. Both of them were elusive individuals, changing the whole situation with the smallest details. Perhaps every decision was derived from details and intuition. He looked out the window, overlooking the entire city.

He tossed the newspaper aside and leaned back in his chair to rest.

The next moment, the plane disappeared into the clouds.