Chapter 20 Returning Home
"Team Ji," the next morning, as soon as he stepped into the office, Ji Chuan's call came right after him, "The Lan family is back, all three of them, not one left behind."
"Everyone's back?" Ji Feng sat up straight, his brows filled with astonishment. "What's going on?"
"I was on duty last night and was handing over my shift to Xiaozheng this morning when I saw the three Lan family members returning by car. They've already returned home. It's absolutely true, and Xiaozheng saw them too."
"Ah?" Ji Feng couldn't help but cheer up from yesterday's depression, with a look of surprise on his face.
"Brother Chuan, I understand. Go back and have a rest. You've worked hard."
"Okay, Captain Ji, bye."
After hanging up the phone, Ji Feng was about to go to Jiang Bo's office to report, but he almost bumped into Jiang Bo.
"Captain Ji, why are you in such a hurry to go out?" Jiang Bo said with a smile.
"Captain Jiang, I was just about to come to you to report that the three members of the Lan family all returned early this morning and have arrived home." Ji Feng looked solemn.
"You're back? Didn't you just leave yesterday?"
"He did leave yesterday, and he did come back. Ji Chuan just told me, and the information is reliable."
"What's going on?" Jiang Bo also looked puzzled.
"Is there a change in schedule?"
"Contact the airline and ask if their tickets have been rescheduled? Has the cargo transportation schedule been changed?" Jiang Bo said.
"I'll arrange it right away." Ji Feng nodded in agreement and turned to leave, but was stopped by Jiang Bo.
"Captain Ji, you've been working hard for half a year and haven't had a good rest. The Mid-Autumn Festival is coming soon, so why not take this opportunity to go home and relax for a few days? Sharpening the knife makes the work easier."
Ji Feng knew Jiang Bo wanted him to calm down, so he immediately said, "Captain Jiang, thank you for your kindness. I also want to go back to the academy to report on the progress of the case. However, I think it won't be too late to leave after a few days to understand the Lan family's intentions."
"Okay, just arrange your time yourself. In short, don't exhaust yourself, your health is important." Jiang Bo reminded.
"Thank you Captain Jiang for your concern. I'll get busy now."
Ji Feng immediately arranged for Xin Xiao to contact the airline, while he himself stared out the window in a daze, trying to figure out what the Lan family was up to.
"Captain Ji, the three members of the Lan family canceled their flights from Beijing to London. No information on rebooking or rebooking was found. The cargo transportation itinerary has not changed." Xin Xiao quickly found the Lan family's information on the airline.
"What do you think the Lan family is up to?" Ji Feng looked at Xin Xiao.
"I didn't think too much of it. Maybe they canceled the trip at the last minute because of something."
"Well, maybe." Ji Feng nodded silently. He wanted to find out the Lan family's intentions as soon as possible and then set off back to the academy to report.
However, all the efforts were in vain. After analyzing various possibilities, he came to the same conclusion as Xin Xiao: the itinerary was changed due to some urgent matter.
Walking home from work, feeling the rich Mid-Autumn Festival atmosphere in the streets, my thoughts drifted quietly back to the provincial capital, where every household had its own spring and well, and willows weeping in the courtyards. Lan Gu, a small northern city steeped in history, is a place where, for the traditional and conservative northerners who have lived and thrived here for thousands of years, the annual Mid-Autumn Festival is as important as the Spring Festival.
While thousands of families clung to the lights, eager for reunions, he felt as if blinded, groping in the darkness, unable to find a way out. The Lan family's intentions remained shrouded in mystery, and the invisible pressure tightened like a yoke. He sighed, a bitter longing welling up in his heart—every festive season brought a surge of longing, and the image of his aging parents loomed before his mind. Suddenly, he realized that his anxiety was futile. After six months away, whether to visit relatives or report on the progress of the case, it was time to return.
He took out his cell phone and called Jiang Bo. After learning that Ji Feng had changed his mind so quickly, Jiang Bo readily agreed.
After hanging up the phone, Ji Feng felt for the first time in half a year that the heavy burden on his shoulders was suddenly lifted. He felt relieved and his steps to go home became lighter.
It wasn't Ji Feng's style to wait until tomorrow morning to leave. He quickly packed a few pieces of luggage, called Xin Xiao to explain the situation, and then got back into his pink supercar and started his journey home. He sped along like the wind, as if leaving all his worries behind.
After a 400-kilometer journey, I finally returned to my hometown before the city fell asleep. Even the smell in the air was so familiar to me.
The mood I felt when I came back this time was completely different from the last time I met Zhou Wenlan in a hurry.
It seems like I've been away for many years,
The same street scene,
Familiar alleys,
The taste of memory,
The shop as before,
Thick trees.
Everything was like a gentle old photo, so familiar, yet as if from another world, quietly awakening the softest emotions deep in his heart.
He wanted to open his arms and embrace this land, every stranger he passed, every old tree that stood still; he wanted to breathe in every speck of dust, every breath of air; he wanted to smile at every passerby, bend over and kiss the children playing on the street... An inexplicable throbbing rose in his heart, and his vision gradually became blurred...
As dusk fell, he planned to go home and rest for a while. As soon as he got to work the next day, he would go to the college to report the progress of the case to Dean Lu and invite Dean Lu's family, Hua Ailing and several other old colleagues to spend the Mid-Autumn Festival together tomorrow night. With this in mind, he immediately drove to the supermarket.
He has been expressing his gratitude to President Lu every Mid-Autumn Festival for twenty years. This year, his first Mid-Autumn Festival since leaving the academy, makes this courtesy even more essential. Before the festival, supermarkets will be brightly lit and open late into the night.
After shopping for gifts on the shelf and preparing to check out, Hua Ailing's phone rang in time as if she had installed a global positioning system. Ji Feng thought, she is so well-informed, she knows I am back? As he answered the phone, he pondered secretly. Sure enough,
A familiar, intellectual yet spicy Sichuan accent came from the receiver, "Do you think I wouldn't know you're back if you don't tell me? I know your whereabouts. Tell me, where are you now?" It sounded like an interrogation.
"Sister, I just came back and I'm so tired. Can you let me rest for a while?" Ji Feng spoke in an almost pleading tone.
"Take a break? What did I say? Didn't I tell you not to take a break? What are you thinking?" He said with an attitude that he was not going to give in.
"You call me just to make me suffer. I feel stressed when I answer your call." Ji Feng looked pitiful.
"Hahahaha..." Hua Ailing laughed happily and heartily.
"I have to pay on my phone. Can we talk later?"
"Call me later." Then he hung up the phone.
Ji Feng took the gift to the car, connected the Bluetooth and called Hua Ailing back.
"You're well-informed. Did Xin Xiao betray me?"
"Of course—" Hua Ailing deliberately dragged out the tone, keeping the other person in suspense, "I can't tell you."
"To tell you the truth, before I called you back, I called Xin Xiao, and he was tricked out in just a few words, haha."
"Then don't blame me. It's his own lack of firmness in his stance. He can only blame himself."
"Hahahaha..." Ji Feng laughed even more wantonly and complacently.
Hua Ailing heard that Ji Feng's smile was malicious, and immediately knew that she had been fooled again. "You are so good, you are so cruel. Unless you don't see me, I will show you how I will deal with you." Hua Ailing said angrily.
"Then I will be even more afraid to see you. I wish you a happy Mid-Autumn Festival!" Ji Feng deliberately teased Hua Ailing.
A strange feeling washed over him again. Every time he spoke to Hua Ailing on the phone, he felt a hazy, inexplicable feeling. It wasn't affection, nor was it love. He always liked to tell her jokes or prank her, and it seemed he had lost the ability to speak seriously. He himself didn't know why this was happening. Perhaps he was being carried away by her unique temperament, Ji Feng thought.
"You dare to try it!"
Jifeng immediately felt the hotness of Sichuan people.
"Haha, I wouldn't dare. I was just about to tell you that tomorrow morning I'll go to the hospital to report to Dean Lu on my work, and in the evening I'll invite Dean Lu and his family to come out and celebrate the festival. You can come along."
"If I'm just here to keep you company, then in what capacity?" Although he couldn't see her expression, just from Hua Ailing's tone, Ji Feng could completely imagine her raised eyebrows and sour look at the moment.
"What identity do you want to be?" Ji Feng also imitated Hua Ailing and spoke in a female voice.
"I want to? I want to use a shovel!" Hua Ailing resumed her unreasonable tone.
"Of course it's useful, but I don't know what kind of status you want? Classmate? Colleague? Friend?"
"Get away! Do you think your son of a bitch is even a boy? He's got no future at all and no sense of responsibility at all!"
"Okay, stop it. Can you please let me go back and get some rest? See you tomorrow night. I'll book a hotel and send you a WeChat message."
"Goodbye, never see you again!" She spoke each word clearly, as if she was angry or acting coquettishly.
The next morning, just as the morning light was filtering through the ginkgo trees beneath the office building, Ji Feng stood at the door of Lu Zhiyao's office. Having not seen him for six months, he felt a sense of trepidation, and his knuckles trembled slightly as he knocked on the door.
"Come in." The voice from inside was still loud, but a little hoarse than he remembered.
Ji Feng pushed the door open and entered. Lu Zhiyao, who came into view, had a few more strands of gray in his hair compared to six months ago. What remained unchanged was his sharp, restrained gaze, the dignity and composure between his brows. It was clear that Dean Lu hadn't had an easy time in the past six months.
Looking at this weathered yet still energetic veteran, a sense of awe rose quietly within him. He lowered his head, speaking in a sincere and steady tone, "President Lu, I've been negligent for the past six months. I haven't been able to report our progress to you in a timely manner. The responsibility rests entirely with me, and I accept the punishment. I'd like to invite you and your aunt out for a get-together tonight. Firstly, I want to apologize in person, and secondly, I want to take this opportunity to spend the holiday with you two. Is that alright with you?"
Lu Zhiyao smiled slightly, his eyes gentle yet sharp, as if he could see through people's hearts. He asked gently, "Jifeng, when did you come back?"
"I came back last night. It was late, so I didn't disturb you."
"Forget about making apologies or celebrating the holidays. You are no longer a member of the academy, so there is no need to talk about making apologies." He said in a calm tone, with a trace of imperceptible relief in his eyes.
"That won't do. No matter when or where I go, I will always be your student."
"Half a year since we last met, you've become quite smooth-talking. But... you've made some progress." He paused, then said seriously, "Tell me, what's the progress on the case?"
Ji Feng reported to Lu Zhiyao in detail the progress of the case investigation over the past six months. Lu Zhiyao frowned, pondered for a moment, and then slowly said, "I generally agree with your approach to the investigation. The death of the key parties involved and the Lan family's lack of cooperation have also added significant obstacles to the investigation."
He paused, his tone turning serious. "I have two points: First, regarding the young master of the Lan family, although we cannot prove that he is involved in the case, we must not let go of any small clues; second, although my country and the UK have not yet signed an extradition treaty, we can still establish contact with the British police through Interpol. Even if extradition is not possible immediately, once we have sufficient evidence to prove that the Lan family is involved in the case, we can push them to adopt temporary control measures such as entry and exit restrictions and residential surveillance, creating conditions for subsequent pressure to force them to return to China. If you need to coordinate overseas contacts, you can always contact me and I will coordinate."
"Really? That's great! Dean Lu, thank you so much. You really are a timely help. This is what I'm most anxious about right now. For this matter, I..."
"What? Go on." Lu Zhiyao asked sharply.
"It's okay. I just want to say that I'm really confused by this."
"Hmph, you kid, tighten that string for me."
"Yes, yes. I really thank you. This way, even if the Lan family runs away, I don't have to worry too much."
"Don't be polite with me. The hospital and the British police have exchanges and interactions every year, and we also cooperate in other areas. But am I shooting myself in the foot? Haha."
Ji Feng knew that Dean Lu was referring to the gambling agreement, and said embarrassedly, "It's still six months away from the expiration date. We'll talk about it then. But no matter what the outcome, I will always remember your kindness."
"There is one more thing I want to remind you. You have been involved in the investigation for half a year. If there is no breakthrough, I am afraid that the pressure of public opinion will make it difficult for you to move forward. Therefore, even a small progress can temporarily alleviate the outside world's doubts." Dean Lu said solemnly.
"I understand, Dean Lu, thank you for your reminder. I will try harder."
"I prefer to believe that your current situation is a sign of building momentum. I look forward to your continued success and wish you a speedy resolution to the case!"
"Thank you for the encouragement, President Lu. I will not let you down." Ji Feng said confidently.
"Then I won't keep you any longer. Go get busy. Our family is celebrating the holidays at home tonight, so you should go back and spend time with them. When you return with honor, we'll celebrate your success."
"Ah! I wanted to..." Ji Feng did not expect such a result. Dean Lu's excuse made it difficult for him to refuse, so he could only look at Lu Zhiyao with a little embarrassment.
"Don't think about anything. Take a few days' rest and go back quickly. Time waits for no one. You can eat anytime, but the case has a deadline. You have to prioritize." Lu Zhiyao said earnestly.
Ji Feng could only reply, "Okay, then I'll obey your order. Please give my regards to my aunt. I'll take my leave now. Take care of yourself."
"Okay, give my regards to your parents too. I won't be seeing you off."
After saying goodbye to Dean Lu, Ji Feng thought that he had been away from home for half a year and had not been able to spend enough time with his parents. Spending the Mid-Autumn Festival with them in the evening would be a way to make up for it.
Suddenly, he felt the phone vibrate in his trouser pocket. Ji Feng took it out and saw that it was Ji Chuan. He quickly pressed the answer button, but before he could say anything, Ji Chuan's urgent voice came from the receiver: "Captain Ji, there is a new situation. The Lan family is loading the truck again. There are more than a dozen boxes in total, and they are all small boxes this time. They just booked three tickets to London. The tickets they booked this time are very tight. They booked the tickets five minutes ago and the departure time is tonight. They are still loading the truck, but the three people from the Lan family have already rushed to the airport. Judging from the time, they left first and booked the tickets later. They must have booked the tickets on the way to the airport. And this time they seem to have seven or eight carry-on suitcases, which seem to be some clothes and other daily necessities. In short, the luggage this time is different from before."
"Run away!" The word immediately flashed through Ji Feng's mind, his heart skipping a beat, beads of sweat instantly breaking out on his forehead. He gripped the steering wheel tightly, his mind racing, "What should I do?" Although Dean Lu had just promised to seek assistance from the British police, it was still a very troublesome matter. If it could be resolved domestically, it would be best to avoid dragging it out abroad.
Without time to think, he took out his cell phone and called Lu Zhiyao, "Dean Lu, I just received a call. The Lan family is preparing to fly to London again. This time it's a little unusual. I guess they will definitely not be coming back this time."
"What do you want?" Lu Zhiyao's calm voice was like a bucket of cold water poured down.
"I think it would be best to intercept them domestically, so as to avoid trouble with Interpol and the British police."
"what do you want to do?"
"Can you coordinate with the provincial government to intercept them at the airport?"
"Ji Feng, I understand how you feel, but let me tell you clearly, without evidence, I can't help you, not even Jiang Bo, and even the director can't issue an arrest warrant for you."
"What should we do then? Should we just watch them flee abroad?"
"Naive! Who are they? Are they criminal suspects? What do you mean by fleeing abroad? Listen carefully, before we get solid evidence, they are law-abiding citizens and they are traveling abroad normally, not fleeing abroad as you said." Lu Zhiyao said sternly.
Ji Feng was like an eggplant hit by frost. He was silent for a while, then said dejectedly, "I understand. Goodbye, Dean Lu."
After hanging up the phone, Ji Feng slumped over the steering wheel, as if all the strength in his body had been drained.
The phone rang again. It was a WeChat voice message from Hua Ailing. Ji Feng clicked on it and heard Hua Ailing's scolding voice: "You said you would send me the restaurant location. What time is it now?"
Ji Feng then remembered that he had forgotten to cancel the party with her tonight.
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