Chu Hongyu accepted the admission notice, and her mood finally improved a bit. It seemed that this man was still a man of his word.
She stroked the edge of the acceptance letter, hesitated for a moment, and then couldn't help but ask, "Young Master Ning, now... is there still a good chance of finding Instructor Rong?"
Ning Bingyu picked up his coffee and took a sip: "Theoretically speaking, a person who falls into the water could drift at sea for up to a month, provided they are not injured and it is in the open sea, in which case they would not be found."
He looked out the window at the cold, gray sea: "But the location of this incident is very close to the shore. The bay near the port is only so big. In three days, they've already searched it thoroughly. Today is the afternoon of the fourth day..."
He didn't say anything more, but his meaning was already quite clear.
Chu Hongyu fell silent. She knew Ning Bingyu was right; Xiao Ning's hopes were about to be shattered by cruel reality.
Ning Bingyu flicked his cigarette ash, his tone unreadable: "We'll have to search for at least another half month. We need to find him alive or dead. I also hope he's still alive. That guy's tough as nails; he's probably sunbathing on Lantau Island."
He paused, a hint of heaviness creeping into his voice: "But the expert team said that after three days of search and rescue... it's all up to us to do our best and leave the rest to fate."
Chu Hongyu's heart skipped a beat. She bit her lip and said, "What about Ning Yuan..."
"She's not as fragile as you think," Ning Bingyu interrupted her calmly.
“You staying here with her is more effective than me. If she really collapses, even if Rong Zhaonan comes back alive, he'll probably be furious.” He lightly pressed his glasses on the bridge of his nose.
"I'll have someone send you some information and details about the head office so you can familiarize yourself with it beforehand."
Chu Hongyu raised an eyebrow. This man really was all bark and no bite. He clearly cared about Ning Yuan, but he insisted on pretending to be indifferent.
“Okay, I also brought some documents with me, which need to be signed and reviewed by the young master.”
As she spoke, she took out a stack of documents from her briefcase and neatly placed them on Ning Bingyu's desk.
Ning Bingyu put on his gold-rimmed glasses, quickly glanced through the document, and occasionally circled or marked it with a pen.
After reading it, he pushed up his gold-rimmed glasses and a barely perceptible hint of satisfaction appeared on his lips: "You're becoming more and more like a special assistant, Assistant Chu."
He put the documents aside: "You helped me get that new project in Shanghai, so you can keep an eye on it for me. As for Rong Zhaonan... if anything unexpected happens, I'll have to rely on you to handle Ning Yuan's emotions and make the necessary arrangements."
Chu Hongyu took the signed documents, her heart filled with mixed feelings.
She knew that Ning Bingyu was giving her an opportunity, but also putting pressure on her.
Entrusting her with overseeing the Shanghai project was undoubtedly a testament to her abilities, but right now her mind was filled with thoughts of Xiao Ning and Rong Zhaonan…
At this moment, Ning Bingyu glanced at his wristwatch and said, "I'm going out for a bit. You can take your time looking at it."
He picked up his suit jacket from the back of the chair, walked over to Chu Hongyu, and casually patted her on the shoulder: "You'll be very busy during this time. Do your best, Assistant Chu. I hope you can adapt to life in the Hong Kong government."
His fingers, faintly scented with tobacco, rested on Chu Hongyu's shoulder.
Chu Hongyu froze, feeling the man's long, strong hand press against her slender bones with an undeniable force through his coat.
The sudden touch immediately reminded her of that night...
She instinctively looked away, and politely replied, "Yes, young master."
Ning Bingyu raised an eyebrow as he watched her dodge, a mysterious light flashing in his glasses.
He didn't say anything, turned around and walked out.
...
Time passed day by day, like fine sand in an hourglass, silently slipping through our fingers, and the momentum of the search and rescue operation gradually weakened.
The number of fishing boats searching for the missing vessels has visibly decreased, and they have gradually resumed normal fishing operations, no longer searching everywhere.
She called her fourth uncle, only to be met with a torrent of abuse—
"You brat, you think you can just burn money like that? Anything adrift at sea, whether human or ghost, should be clear by now! Wake up!"
Ning Yuan held the phone, her knuckles turning white, but she simply replied, "Thank you, Fourth Uncle. You can leave now. The final payment will be transferred to your account as agreed."
Then the Hong Kong government and police vessels routinely switched to regular patrols, as police resources cannot be deployed for search and rescue indefinitely.
at last……
Finally, there are the Ning family's own cargo ships and yachts.
These ships represented the Ning family's last hope and perseverance, and they were gradually withdrawn amidst opposition from the group's shareholders.
Despite immense pressure, Ning Bingyu managed to secure an extra two weeks for Ning Yuan, but ultimately had to compromise.
They persevered for a month and a half, burning through enough money to buy several villas on Hong Kong Island, but found nothing but endless seawater.
The empty sea seemed to mock her stubborn hope.
After a month of making no progress, Chen Chen and his team were recalled to the mainland.
On the day he left, this 1.9-meter-tall man, with red eyes, held Ning Yuan's hand and cried like a child.
"Sister-in-law..." Chen Chen choked up, but couldn't utter a complete sentence.
Ning Yuan closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and, suppressing her grief, said, "Let's go back. Perhaps we'll meet again someday."
She won't be returning to the mainland or Fudan University anytime soon, as those places hold too many memories for her and Rong Zhaonan.
Old Xu hesitated for a moment, but still spoke up: "Sister-in-law, if the captain is posthumously recognized as a martyr... what about the benefits you would receive as a family member of a martyr in mainland China..."
Ning Yuan suddenly opened her eyes, her gaze icy, her tone resolute: "No posthumous recognition, no martyr status. Without a body, you can't say he's dead, and I'm not some kind of martyr's family member!"
The team members fell silent. They knew Ning Yuan's stubbornness and the pain in her heart.
They left with heavy hearts, leaving Ning Yuan alone to face the empty world.
Chu Hongyu, Aheng, and Madam Ning stayed with her in the private room of Zhenbaofang every day, and felt heartbroken as they watched Ning Yuan grow thinner and thinner.
They wanted to offer advice, but didn't know where to begin.
Any words of comfort seem pale and powerless in the face of cruel reality.
The last day for the Ning family's search and rescue yacht and helicopter to leave...
That evening, with fishing lights twinkling on the boat, Ning Yuan finally agreed to return to the villa in the shallow bay with Madam Ning.
She lay curled up on the bed, pale-faced, her eyes tightly shut, clutching a pillow—
That was the pillow Rong Zhaonan had slept on in her room. As if clinging to her last hope and solace, she fell into a deep sleep, and no one could wake her.
She slept for three days straight, and Madam Ning was extremely worried, so she had the family doctor come in every day to check on her condition.
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