0143 152 The Ultimate 24 Hours (Part 1)

Hearing Ling Xingzhi's anxious tone, Zhou Xiye was startled. He threw off his clothes and sat on the bed. "What? It was taken?"

When Ling Xingzhi heard Zhou Xiye say this, he breathed a sigh of relief. "My dad said... someone went to Panama and took away the things that Ye Rouxin had stored."

Zhou Xiye frowned. "I'm in Panama. Do you know who took the things?"

Ling Xingzhi's heart, which had just been relieved, was raised again. "Zhou Xiye, everyone knows who Ye Rouxin's closest friend is. You are currently in Panama, and you are also his friend. In addition, the things he kept were taken away. You are the prime suspect."

"Suspect?" Zhou Xiye's tone was serious. "Ling Xingzhi, what are you talking about? Get this straight, my friend's things were taken, and I don't even know who killed him. Don't you think it's too cruel to say that? Nobody wants to know who killed him more than I do!"

Ling Xingzhi was speechless. "Zhou Xiye..." He pursed his lips and rubbed his temples with his other hand. "Sorry, I've been dealing with some things lately, I'm not feeling well..."

Zhou Xiye nodded. Although Ling Xingzhi couldn't see it, she still did it. "It's okay, I'm fine... Give me the information of the person who took the things. I happen to be here too. I must get the things back before I leave. I won't let anyone take Ye Rouxin's things."

Ling Xingzhi let out a breath, "Okay, I'll send you the information... When you're looking for someone, be sure to contact the local embassy. Don't act on your own. Panama allows guns and has had unrest before, so you have to be careful."

“Okay, I understand, don’t worry,” Zhou Xiye hesitated for a moment, wanting to ask Ling Xingzhi why he didn’t return to Kunming, but didn’t ask. “I will definitely get his things back.”

"good."

Ling Xingzhi hung up the phone and forwarded all the messages Ling Qingyun had given him to Zhou Xiye. A few simple lines conveyed the important information; it's not always the written documents or official papers that are important, but sometimes the more important something is, the simpler its form.

"According to sources within the Panama Bank, a man using Ye Rouxin's name took everything from Ye Rouxin's safe deposit box at the bank. The video footage needs to be viewed inside the bank; domestic officials have already departed for Panama."

Zhou Xiye read the message over and over again. What did it mean? Ye Rouxin had been dead for so long, yet someone was still after his things… So having things in the Panama Bank must be the reason he was killed.

The reason for being tortured... must be this too.

Zhou Xiye sighed, lay down on the bed, and stared blankly at the ceiling.

A short while later, Zhou Xiye got up, dressed, and knocked on Bai Jialing and Wang Xiaodong's doors one by one, full of energy. "It's an emergency. Come on, come with me to the embassy." Bai Jialing was wearing pajamas, had a face mask on, and held half a glass of red wine in her hand.

Wang Xiaodong had just finished showering when he saw that the person who came was Zhou Xiye, and he wished he could wrap himself up tightly.

The two men were in different poses, but both were frightened by her.

"Shall we go?"

Zhou Xiye squinted slightly, his arms crossed over his chest.

The three of them walked down the hotel corridor. The carpet was soft, and their footsteps were silent. Wang Xiaodong dried his hair as he followed behind Zhou Xiye, listening to her instructions. "I thought about it. I originally planned to go to the embassy tomorrow, but we can't postpone our trip to the Netherlands, so let's go today."

"What's the rush?" Wang Xiaodong had a white towel on his head and some water droplets on the glasses perched on his nose.

“Special mission,” Zhou Xiye said without turning his head. The three of them entered the elevator. “We’ll go to the embassy first and check the documents I asked you to bring again. We’ll meet with the people at the embassy to get a document, and then we’ll go to the Panama Bank to check something.”

Bai Jialing and Wang Xiaodong were both confused. "Secretary, didn't we finish inspecting everything we were supposed to yesterday? Why are we suddenly going to the embassy again?"

Zhou Xiye nodded, glanced at his watch, and said, "I'll explain the details to you on the way..."

As the three stepped out of the elevator, several waiters approached. Seeing the towel on Wang Xiaodong's head, they smiled awkwardly and stopped him, saying, "Sir... this towel cannot be taken away..."

Wang Xiaodong opened his mouth, "I...I'll be back in a bit, I won't take your towel..."

Before he could finish speaking, Zhou Xiye snatched the towel from Wang Xiaodong's head and shoved it into the waiter's hand, startling the people nearby. When they turned to look back, Zhou Xiye had already walked out, and the two quickly started running away.

But after going outside, they didn't see Zhou Xi, the wild man. The night wind blew by, carrying the unique scent of summer.

Where is the Party Secretary?

"I don't know... I saw her walk out of here, but then she disappeared after she turned around?"

The two stood at the hotel entrance, people coming and going. Bai Jialing looked around and asked, "What do you think happened this time?"

"I don't know... is there a problem with our passports? Or the visas? Should we go to the embassy?"

Before Wang Xiaodong could finish speaking, a car rushed out from the traffic and stopped abruptly in front of them, causing the two to take a step back.

The car window rolled down, and Zhou Xiye, who was in the driver's seat, had his hair tied in a ponytail and was still wearing the same clothes as before. But he didn't look like a municipal party secretary at all... Instead, he looked like a soldier. Wang Xiaodong and Bai Jialing had never seen Zhou Xiye like this before, and they were both stunned.

"What are you looking at? Get in the car!"

Zhou Xiye frowned and asked loudly, at which point the two of them snapped out of their daze, opened the car door, and got in. The car turned and disappeared into the hurried night.

The plane was bumpy, and it was already afternoon when they arrived in the United States. Ling Xingzhi had just woken up, and he squinted as he stepped out of the cabin. Looking at the blue sky and white clouds, the sky seemed very low and the clouds very white, and he suddenly felt breathless.

The Mercedes was waiting at the bottom of the steps. Ling Xingzhi walked down, got in, and was immediately hit by the cold air from the air conditioner. Ling Xingzhi's Adam's apple bobbed, and he looked over impatiently. "Turn the air conditioner down a bit."

The driver nodded and quickly turned the air conditioning down.

Ling Xingzhi turned his head to look out the window. After leaving the bridge, the fields on both sides were deserted and the scenery was quite nice. No wonder so many people wanted to come here. Ling Xingzhi chuckled. Chen Ran, who was sitting in the front passenger seat, glanced at Ling Xingzhi in the rearview mirror. "Mayor, the place where Wei's parents live is a bit far from the airport, but they often go to Chinatown. We can go to Chinatown first."

“Okay…” Ling Xingzhi was a little puzzled, “You didn’t tell them I was coming?”

Chen Ran shook his head.

Ling Xingzhi's expression changed. "Didn't... say anything?" Not saying anything could have a big impact. If he had said something, they would know that Ling Xingzhi's trip to America had nothing to do with them. If they didn't know and rushed over, they would definitely guess that something big had happened. Ling Xingzhi didn't like this kind of behavior of arriving rashly without prior notice. He didn't like doing it himself, and he didn't like others doing it either.

Chen Ran paused for a second before realizing what he meant, and hurriedly took out his phone, "Mayor, what should I say..."

Give me your phone.

Ling Xingzhi took the phone and called Wei's parents. He basically asked how they were doing and then mentioned that he was currently in the US for a business trip and might visit them. Wei's parents sounded very happy on the phone and asked about Wei Luochen's recent activities.

As the conversation dwindled, Ling Xingzhi, hearing their joyful tone, couldn't bear to tell them about Wei Luochen's death. After a few seconds of pause, he said that Wei Luochen was doing well. Finally, he gave a few more instructions, saying he would go see them in a little while.

Wei Luochen's parents were also very happy. They said they would wait at home for Ling Xingzhi to come over.

After hanging up the phone, Ling Xingzhi held his phone, leaned back in his chair, and closed his eyes.

Chen Ran turned to look at Ling Xingzhi, hesitated for a moment, and then said, "Mayor Ling, it's been a long time. I think you look kind and gentle now, which I never noticed before."

Ling Xingzhi chuckled, "You're used to seeing Old Ling's cunning face every day, so naturally you're used to it."

Chen Ran shook his head slightly and turned to look ahead. After a while, the group arrived at their destination. Green grass, steep parking spaces, a simple yet elegant villa, and a couple standing at the door. Ling Xingzhi got out of the car. The sunlight was too dazzling, reflecting into his eyes, so Ling Xingzhi couldn't help but squint. He took out sunglasses from the side, put them on, and walked forward with a forced smile.

A hot breeze blew in, ruffling the hair on his forehead.

Suddenly, Ling Xingzhi stopped and turned to look at Chen Ran. "No! That's not how it is! Give me your phone!"

Chen Ran was confused. Ling Xingzhi took the phone, pressed a few keys, and dialed, "...You absolutely must not give Zhou Xiye anything, she... What!? She's already got the documents and went to the bank to check the video footage!?"

Ling Xingzhi hung up the phone and paced anxiously. His recent mood was off; Wei Luochen's departure had greatly affected him, especially mentally, but this wasn't right. This wasn't a basic quality expected of a good politician. Ye Rouxin's belongings in the bank must have been taken by Zhou Xiye; she must have had someone take them.

Zhou Xiye now has the documents; first, he wants to delete the video, and second, he will notify the person who helped him. He was careless and blinded by emotion. Ye Rouxin's death was a huge shock in the circle of the red aristocracy; everyone connected it to themselves. Ling Xingzhi knew Ye Rouxin and considered her an ordinary friend, someone he had known since childhood. Her sudden death left him with nothing but shock and grief.

A hot summer breeze blew by, causing Xingzhi to break out in a cold sweat. Chen Ran noticed his strange appearance, while Wei Luochen's parents looked over, their faces full of confusion.

But the next second, Ling Xingzhi stood still, his hand gripping his phone tighter, as he discovered an even more terrifying truth.

Zhou Xiye discovered his weakness.

Whether she knew about Wei Luochen's death or not, Zhou Xiye could already manipulate him by exploiting the fact that Ye Rouxin was a dead person and would inevitably soften her heart. It was hard to say whether Zhou Xiye saw him as an enemy or as someone she could use.

Ling Xingzhi calmed down completely, picked up his phone, and said, "You've teamed up with influential local Chinese to keep up with Zhou Xiye... She's with Panama police?" Ling Xingzhi sneered, "That's perfect. Find a few more of our people to follow behind them and provide support at crucial moments... Keep an eye on Zhou Xiye. She needs to be alive, and I want what she has too."

After putting down his phone, Ling Xingzhi looked up and smiled at Wei's parents. He was very calm, but there was a strange sense of distortion about him.