0145 154 The Ultimate 24 Hours (Part 2)
The helicopter hovered over the cliff edge, making a huge roar, as it slowly descended.
The salty wind was irritating, and the deep blue clouds in the distance, blown by the wind, became even more somber. Bai Jialing's hair was blown into a mess.
"Is Secretary Zhou really down there?! Did the embassy people even negotiate properly?!" Wang Xiaodong complained loudly, his brows furrowed, as if he wanted the person in front of him to hear him. Bai Jialing, however, remained calm. She glanced at Wang Xiaodong and said confidently, "Secretary Zhou is definitely alive."
Wang Xiaodong sighed heavily and shook his head slightly. "No, I have to go see what the embassy people are doing. It's been so long, and there's still no news?!" He turned and walked away. The embassy staff were negotiating with the Panamanian police. Wang Xiaodong casually pulled over a Chinese man and asked, "How's it going? Have they found him? What's the matter with that suspect?!"
The embassy staff shook their heads helplessly, "The search and rescue team is conducting an emergency operation, and all we can do is wait."
Wang Xiaodong showed no goodwill whatsoever. Such evasive and dismissive behavior was all too common within the system. At this point, whether it was the truth or an excuse, it infuriated him. "No, I'm saying, are we still waiting?! How long has it been? By the time the police caught up, the people and the car were gone, only the tire tracks from the car hitting the edge of the cliff remained. It's been over half an hour! The seawater is so cold. If something happens to our Secretary Zhou, can your embassy take responsibility?!"
Hearing this, the embassy staff member also got angry. He crossed his arms over his stomach and said, "I'm not trying to be mean, Comrade Xiao Wang, but you need to understand—wasn't our embassy set up specifically to protect Secretary Zhou? Her being kidnapped here by criminals is a situation none of us wanted to see, and we certainly don't want anything to happen to her. What's the use of you getting anxious and yelling at me? If you're so anxious, why don't you jump in and save her? Yes, it might take a long time, but don't we also need to protect the safety of our rescue personnel? Aren't our rescue team members human beings?"
"What kind of attitude is this! Is this a rescue team matter? I think it's just that you guys sit in your offices drinking tea all day, and now that something's happened, you think it's too much trouble and don't want to deal with it properly. Taxpayers pay your taxes and let you set up a stall in Panama, not so you can read newspapers and drink tea all day!"
Although Wang Xiaodong said many things in anger, he also told the truth quite a bit. There were only a few embassy personnel at the scene, and when they got off the bus, they were yawning constantly, sleepy-eyed, and their attitude towards the police was perfunctory. Even when the Chinese and Pakistani personnel went down to rescue people, they asked, "What level of official is Secretary Zhou?"
Upon hearing that he was a municipal party secretary or a department-level cadre, they didn't take him that seriously.
Well, the only one to blame is the Panamanian police for not properly arresting the suspect. If Zhou Xiye had gotten into trouble, they could have used that as an excuse to make a lot of money. Of course, it's also a good thing that he was rescued. He can also get credit back in China. Although it's not a huge benefit in the short term, it might be useful when he gets promoted back home.
Hearing Wang Xiaodong's words, the embassy staff became even angrier. However, having been immersed in officialdom for many years, they were not so unbearable when angry. With a smirk and fire in their eyes, they said, "Secretary Wang, we handled things according to the rules and regulations. If you have any opinions, you can raise them with your superiors." After saying that, they turned and walked to the side.
Wang Xiaodong was very anxious. He stamped his foot and paced around like an ant on a hot pan. After a few times, he saw Bai Jialing, who remained calm. He walked over, bowed slightly, and asked, "Aren't you worried?"
Bai Jialing looked at him and answered irrelevantly, "I called Mayor Ling."
Wang Xiaodong was taken aback, then straightened up. Right, how could he have forgotten about this! Just because their words don't carry weight doesn't mean Mayor Ling's words don't. Mayor Ling has top-level central government leaders behind him; Panama will definitely be more cooperative, and the embassy is afraid of offending the Ling family.
But what can Secretary Ling do when he's so far away? A phone call can't solve the immediate problem.
"What did Mayor Ling say? Did he call? What did he tell you? Why do they still look so lifeless?" Wang Xiaodong was angry and spoke without thinking, but Bai Jialing found it somewhat humorous. She curled her lips into a smile, but before she could finish speaking, a huge object floated over from the sky with a loud noise. She looked up.
Another helicopter hovered in the air.
A group of people looked up, but the helicopter didn't fly down; instead, it stopped to the side.
Wang Xiaodong and Bai Jialing turned around and looked over.
The cabin door opened, and the first person to get off was someone they recognized very well—Ling Xingzhi. He jumped down from the plane, wearing sunglasses, his hair flying in the wind, dressed in the simplest suit and white shirt. His every move showed that he was coming with a menacing presence.
Two more people jumped down from behind.
The helicopter didn't fly away; the propellers started spinning slower.
Wang Xiaodong blurted out, "Wow, did he come by rocket?"
“When I called Mayor Ling, he should have been on the plane,” Bai Jialing explained. Wang Xiaodong nodded, but his brows furrowed again after a few seconds. “He only brought two people with him, is that enough?”
Ling Xingzhi brought Li Qingshan and Chen Ran not to rescue anyone, but to capture Zhou Xiye. However, halfway there, he received a phone call saying that Zhou Xiye had been kidnapped by thugs and then fell into the sea in a 'life-or-death struggle'. At that moment, he was filled with both hatred and anger, hating that Zhou Xiye had brought it upon himself, and angry that Zhou Xiye was so careless as to be thrown into the sea.
So far, his feelings towards Zhou Xiye are very complicated.
"How is it? Have they rescued him?"
Ling Xingzhi walked up to Wang Xiaodong and Bai Jialing and asked them directly.
"No, I was just talking to..."
Before Wang Xiaodong could speak, a warm voice interrupted him from behind. Wang Xiaodong turned his head and saw the pot-bellied man who had seemed indifferent earlier smiling obsequiously. "Young Master Ling! Secretary Ling! Long time no see!" he said, extending his hand to shake hands with Ling Xingzhi.
But Ling Xingzhi was wearing sunglasses, so no one could see his expression clearly. He just pursed his lips and put his hands at his sides. "I'm no longer the Party Secretary. I'm the Mayor of Kunming now."
The man paused for a moment, but not for more than three seconds. After all, Ling Xingzhi's demotion to a lower rank was backed by Ling Qingyun, a situation similar to Su Shi's. He couldn't afford to treat him unfairly. "Mayor, that's good. Starting from the grassroots will help your future career... That year at the state banquet, I sat next to your father..."
As they talked, the man tried to pull strings. But Ling Xingzhi wasn't buying it. He turned to look at the edge of the cliff and said as he walked, "How's the secretary? Have they found him?"
"Huh?" The man's eyes lit up, and he realized that the woman who had fallen was Ling Xingzhi's boss. However, he was unsure about the relationship between Ling Xingzhi and her, so he could only answer whatever the question asked. "We have spoken with the police, and they are searching for her with all their might."
Ling Xingzhi continued walking towards the edge of the cliff without stopping. Someone tried to stop him, but Li Qingshan and Chen Ran behind him pushed them aside and offered an explanation.
The cliff was higher than he had imagined. He stopped and looked down; small pebbles fell without making a ripple in the water. Fortunately, there were some hidden reefs at the bottom of the cliff, providing a foothold for those people to rescue others when the tide was low.
Ling Xingzhi looked up, then left and right, then lowered his head again, a growing sense of fear in his heart.
Zhou Xiye was ruthless, ruthless to everyone, including himself. He was willing to risk his life on the gambling table to keep the act amicable and avoid arousing suspicion. Ling Xingzhi took a deep breath, exhaling with a slight tremor.
"How much longer until high tide? Have you found the car?"
He turned to look at the people behind him. The main person in charge of the Panamanian police came over and explained in detail the situation in the nearby waters and Ling Xingzhi. "Deep sea. The car sank less than an hour ago. In theory, it should be easy to salvage, but more professional equipment is needed."
"Where are your coast guards? Why haven't they come?" Ling Xingzhi suddenly asked. "Aren't there any fishing boats around here?"
"Yes, we do have coast guard..." The policeman turned to look at the embassy staff. They had just said that if the coast guard was to be deployed, it would definitely incur additional costs.
Ling Xingzhi instantly understood what was going on, but now was not the right time to act. Saving lives was the priority. "You must save him. Money is not a problem."
Upon hearing Ling Xingzhi's words, the policeman turned and walked away, took out his phone to dial a number, explained the situation clearly, and then reported back to Ling Xingzhi. He nodded and looked down at the deep blue sea. After a while, the people below waved, and Ling Xingzhi looked at the policeman, only to hear a voice on the walkie-talkie say, "We found the car, but there's no one inside."
The thought that Ling Xingzhi was about to let go was like a drop tower, lifted up against gravity.
"What do you mean? The person isn't inside? Are there any marks on the car windows? Any signs of self-rescue?" A series of questions startled the man in front of him. Just as he was about to ask, Ling Xingzhi shook his head again, "Lift the car up."
The crane lifted it up, and water overflowed from inside, but from the outside it looked perfectly intact.
The helicopter lifted the car onto the cliff. Ling Xingzhi walked over, and a group of people gathered around. There were quite a few fish in the car, jumping around in the driver's seat, though they were struggling to survive.
With just a glance, Ling Xingzhi noticed the bloodstains on the seat and steering wheel, and turned to look at them, asking, "Where was Zhou Xiye sitting at the time?"
They exchanged bewildered glances. Wang Xiaodong stepped out from the crowd, feeling the chill emanating from Ling Xingzhi. He pointed, "It's... the driver's seat..."
His expression darkened further.
A horn sounded on the sea, and the coast guard arrived late. Professionals with more advanced equipment went down to the surface to search for the person.
Standing not far from Ling Xingzhi, Chen Ran sensed the tense atmosphere in the air and inappropriately whispered to Li Qingshan, "Putting aside how badly she was injured, she's been underwater for so long, she should have..." Before he could finish, Li Qingshan shook his head, signaling him to stop talking.
Time ticked by, the sea breeze grew stronger, and the waves crashed against the rocks. Many rescuers returned to the cliff edge by plane, leaving only the coast guard to work on the sea.
Four hours had passed. Wang Xiaodong stamped his foot and leaned against Bai Jialing. "Is it okay? Secretary Zhou, she..." He stopped mid-sentence as the wind blew against his face, and he squinted, letting the wind blow away the tears from the corners of his eyes.
“It’s alright, Secretary Zhou is so capable, he’ll definitely be fine,” Bai Jialing reached out and patted his back. “Secretary Zhou is so thoughtful, he’ll definitely be alright… He survived this ordeal, he’s bound to have good fortune in the future…” Actually, she herself was a little shaken. Such a vibrant person wouldn’t die from something so trivial.
As Bai Jialing thought about it, her nose also felt a little sore.
Wang Xiaodong had been hiding his emotions well, but after Bai Jialing comforted him, his fear and anxiety erupted like a volcano, and he turned around, hugged Bai Jialing, and burst into tears.
Upon hearing this voice, Ling Xingzhi tilted his head slightly.
He didn't believe it.
How could Zhou Xiye die at the hands of those mercenaries? This kind of death is an insult to her.
If anyone is to lose, if anyone is to die, it should be him, not some trash who lives off luck.
As the search and rescue efforts continued, there was still no news, not even a single person in sight.
If Zhou Xiye just disappeared like that, really left this world... Life is unpredictable. Ling Xingzhi's Adam's apple bobbed. He looked up at the sky, blinked his eyes hidden behind his sunglasses, and the whole world seemed to turn black and white. Only the arrogant woman in his memory was colorful, a riot of colors.
Her eyes lowered, and a glint of light flashed in the corner of her eye as she glanced at him.
Even the strands of her hair were a domineering red, like flames.
Ling Xingzhi lowered his head, deftly took off his coat, and threw his sunglasses on the ground.
"I demand to see him alive or dead, I'll go down and search myself!"
The seawater was icy cold, and the seabed was deep.
Ling Xingzhi floated on the sea, looking down into the bottomless darkness. He heard the sounds of fear, and even more so, the pounding of his own heart. He looked around; there was nothing but water mingling with sunlight. In that moment, it felt as if he had entered another dimension—quiet and unknown.
The fear made him unable to imagine how the injured Zhou Xiye would struggle and cry for help. He looked down again, wondering if he could save her if he swam downstream. The deep sea seemed to be calling to him; Zhou Xiye had never asked him for help before.
His wife cried out to him for help, "Help me..."
Zhou Xiye never cried out for help, but he instinctively felt that she needed his help.
Commanding Xingzhi to descend downstream, the people following behind him also diving down.
There's still nothing there.
Someone pulled him back, gesturing with their hands to tell him he couldn't dive any further; they were already very deep, and going any deeper would mean not only insufficient oxygen but also that his body couldn't withstand the immense pressure. Ling Xingzhi, however, didn't think that far ahead and turned back, still trying to swim downwards.
But they were pulled back by the people behind them, and the four of them swam towards the surface of the sea.
Ling Xingzhi struggled but couldn't break free. As the seabed receded further and further away, he felt dazed, as if it were all a dream. The seawater enveloped his body, and everything seemed like a dream.
They surfaced and were pulled onto the boat.
Everyone watched them silently, without saying a word.
Seawater dripped from his hair into his palm, and Ling Xingzhi watched as the water spread across his palm, sparkling in the sunlight.
The sun was shining brightly, the sky was blue, and fishing boats sailed by in the distance.
Everything was calm and peaceful.
"Mayor...should we still look for him?"
Someone asked about the order's conduct.
But he couldn't move; every inch of his skin was bound, and an invisible weight pressed down on him.
The people on the boat remained silent, exchanging glances.
After a long while, the captain shook his head, walked to the bridge, and ordered, "Return."
He looked up into the distance and inadvertently caught a glimpse of someone jumping up and waving at the edge of the cliff, like a little character in a cartoon, which he found somewhat amusing.
He turned on the communicator, and the person on the other end spoke a long string of Chinese, which he couldn't understand.
"Call a Chinese person over here."
Someone called them. Li Qingshan shook the water droplets off his hair, turned to Chen Ran and said, "Keep an eye on the secretary, I'll go see what's going on."
"good."
Li Qingshan went into the cabin, and a moment later he came running out, panting, "Found her! Secretary Zhou has been found! She was rescued by the people on the fishing boat! She's in a hospital in the city now!"
Everyone was stunned and confused, but seeing the smile on his face, they figured everything was alright.
Ling Xingzhi looked over, his brows furrowed, as if he couldn't understand what he was saying.
Li Qingshan, with his hand on his knee, repeated, "Zhou Xiye is alright, she's still alive."
Ling Xingzhi was stunned for a moment, then sighed deeply after a few seconds. He shifted his legs, wiped his face with both hands, rested his arms on his knees, buried his face in his arms, and cursed fiercely, "Damn it..."
The only difference was that the tone of the voice was different.
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