Chapter 79
Without asking Zhuang Zhuohua and Zhan Hantao about the content of their conversation, Iris and Zhuang Zhuoyuan knew from their expressions that their remedial plan for today had been very successful.
With this matter settled and everyone in a good mood, Inspector Zhuang decided to further address his concerns. He placed the Flying Tigers selection guidelines, printed from the police force website, in front of Iris, who remained silent, waiting for his follow-up. Zhuang Zhuoyuan started the conversation with an acquaintance: "BB, you know that Ah Qiang and the others' three-month basic training course is almost over, right? Next, they'll be going through a hellish selection week."
Iris, seeing his uneasy look, asked, "You have to oversee the selection process?"
Zhuang Zhuoyuan nodded slightly: "It's mainly the higher-ups who are in charge, but we still need to do some preparation."
Preparing means they'll be following up afterwards, and Iris probably has the biggest part to go on. Looking at the six-month advanced training that follows Hell Week, she knew Zhuang Zhuoyuan couldn't possibly be busy for that long, but she was still a little uneasy, worried that he wouldn't be by her side often during her late pregnancy. She tried to minimize the trouble for him, leaving only one crucial question: "Can you come when I give birth?"
“I’ll be able to spend time with you normally then,” Zhuang Zhuoyuan smiled as he kissed her hand. “Now I need to ask you for about a month’s leave. During this time, I may not be able to take you to and from school every day, I may not be able to report for meals on time, and I may not be able to come home at night.”
"So, will you still go looking for other women?" Iris lightly punched Zhuang Zhuoyuan's shoulder at his amusing question, but the words made her feel much lighter. It was only a month apart; she could endure it. Besides, with so much going on at school, she wasn't even sure she'd have time to spend with him. Now that Zhuang had spoken first, she could avoid the hassle of reporting it to him.
Zhuang Zhuoyuan was unaware of his wife's ulterior motives, but seeing that she behaved normally in the following days and did not seem anxious about being apart from him, he was relieved and threw himself into the work of the Flying Tigers with a little disappointment.
During Zhuang Sheng's absence, Iris did miss him a little at night, but the pregnancy pillow greatly reduced the discomfort while sleeping, so the longing became quite limited. Derek picked her up and dropped her off on time every day, and the teachers and classmates at the academy took great care of her, so Iris had a very comfortable time throughout September. Even though she couldn't conduct long-term fieldwork, she still felt quite relaxed, like she was on vacation.
What's rare is that Hong Kong has been peaceful lately, and even Chong Cheuk-wah's Organized Crime and Triad Bureau (OCTB) has seen fewer opportunities for overtime. Ben recently got a promotion, and it's unclear whether he needs to be transferred to another department for further training. Iris sounded out Chong Cheuk-wah, wanting to throw him a party to celebrate, but Chong Cheuk-wah revealed that she had another plan.
"Going to England for training?" Having not heard any rumors beforehand, Iris was surprised upon hearing the news and couldn't help but start rambling on: "Going to England is no problem at all. Daddy, Mommy, Auntie, and AK are all there, so we don't have to worry about you being too lonely. But can't we postpone it a bit? Tangyuan is due in a few months, and it would be best if my older sister could be there."
The course would last a year, and Zhuang Zhuohua had initially hesitated, but when her boss brought it up again, she didn't refuse. Of course, she was also looking forward to the new student, so she held Iris's hand and comforted her, "Don't worry, I'll definitely take leave to come back and see you when you give birth."
But Iris still couldn't bear to part with him, and she believed there was someone even more reluctant to part with Zhuang Zhuohua than she and Zhuang Zhuoyuan: "Sister, if you leave, what will happen to Brother Tao?"
It was because of Zhan Hantao's support that Zhuang Zhuohua made up her mind to leave: "Actually, I mentioned this to Atao last time we were chatting, but at that time the higher-ups had not yet decided on the final candidate, so I didn't tell you and Ayuan about it."
"Sister." Iris gave her a reluctant hug, thinking that now that the time had come, Zhan Hantao should propose to Zhuang Zhuohua, right? Relationships could be developed slowly, but the choice of partner needed to be decided first.
Zhuang Zhuoyuan shared the same thought. Looking at Zhan Hantao's calm demeanor, he felt a kind of indignation, like an emperor who wasn't worried but a eunuch who was. His tone was full of anxious disappointment: "No matter what, we can always upgrade his status first!"
But Zhan Hantao suddenly became focused on the ceremony: "I've been with the team lately, so I haven't had much time to prepare anything for the proposal." He did have some ideas, and he did have a ring, but that was all.
Hearing this, Zhuang Zhuoyuan finally felt half relieved. He patted his chest and made a call to Iris. Since he was also tied up with work, it was naturally more appropriate to leave the overall planning to his wife. Zhuang Zhuoyuan was quite confident in his wife's aesthetic sense. As a result, Iris called back to Zhan Hantao. She was happy to help with errands, but the ideas and concepts should ultimately come from the person in charge; otherwise, the proposal would seem insincere.
So Zhan Hantao spent more than half an hour of his lunch break explaining his general plan. Although the ceremony was supposed to be minimalist, a style both he and Zhuang Zhuohua liked, Iris still filled three pages with notes. Even knowing that the other person couldn't see, she nodded repeatedly, assuring him that she would do a good job. Zhan Hantao felt bad for troubling her, and was about to express his concern when his action-oriented sister-in-law hung up. He could only swallow his words and turn to Zhuang Zhuoyuan, asking, "Isn't this too tiring for Iris?"
Zhuang Zhuoyuan slapped his future brother-in-law on the shoulder: "Don't worry, Daddy, my wife can handle your proposal with just her words." She has her own way of escaping all physical labor, and she also has a group of willing laborers to help her. Zhuang Zhuoyuan grinned mischievously, thinking that the one who would have to put in the most effort this time was probably Zhang Jiguang, who had sneaked in during the summer vacation. Poor Guangzai, ever since he secretly pursued Iris's best friend and business partner Alice, he should have known to pray for his own good fortune, right?
The first phone call Iris made after finishing her project outline was to Zhang Jiguang, a newcomer at CIB. This guy, who had sworn to her last time in the hospital to continue being a Flying Tiger and not consider investing in the gym for the time being, completely abandoned his past resolve after meeting Alice at her wedding. Not only did he secretly pursue her, but he also quietly submitted a transfer application. If Alice hadn't later messaged her asking if she and Hao Yi were still interested in investing in the gym, she would have remained completely unaware of the couple's scheme while still enjoying her honeymoon.
When his girlfriend's best friend gave the order, Zhang Jiguang naturally dared not disobey. But when it came to helping Zhan Hantao, he became even more enthusiastic. He simply called on Long Po, who had also been transferred to the Organized Crime and Triad Bureau as an officer, and they went to PC Bar together after get off work to discuss their plans.
Since returning from England, Iris hadn't been to PC Bar yet. Upon her arrival, her treatment was upgraded; she immediately received VVVVIP treatment from Pauline and Uncle Chao, two more "V"s than last time. Pauline had intended to make some nourishing soup for Iris, but before being locked down, Inspector Zhuang had made a special trip to the homes of several elders who love making soup, thanking them for their kindness while conveying the doctor's latest instructions, making everyone fully aware of Iris's appalling weight.
Having experienced the hardships of childbirth, Zhuang Zhuoyuan said, so Sister Pauline gave up her collection of recipes for all-purpose tonic soups and instead focused on diversifying her options within the limits of what was feasible. For example, tonight, apart from the drinks and snacks enjoyed by the few men who came to help, the rest of the table was filled with all kinds of fruit. Each small plate contained a small amount, but there were quite a lot of fruit on the plates.
Zhang Jiguang's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. He tremblingly gave a thumbs up: "Sister Pauline, what a wonderful hospitality!"
Pauline beamed and handed him another small fruit platter: "This is for you, you can ask for more if it's not enough." The thought of soon having tea with their daughter-in-law filled her and Zhan Yunchao with immense joy. If Zhan Hantao's proposal was successful, what harm was there in letting these little devils eat and drink as much as they wanted at their bar for a few nights?
Upon seeing the elaborate setup, Iris immediately felt the need to resist the temptation to eat. She wasn't hungry after a full meal, but sometimes she just couldn't resist the urge. This time, she placed her palm on her belly, restrained herself, and helped the baby restrain itself as well, finally managing to steer the conversation back to the main topic. Meanwhile, Iris informed Ben, who then called over the rest of their team. Qiu Junxuan, who was recovering, and his mother, who was caring for his wife during her postpartum period, only participated in this video conference due to their special circumstances. However, overall, Zhan Hantao had quite a few helpers outside the training ground. The plan already had a rough outline, and as everyone discussed it, sparks flew, immediately generating many more good ideas. Iris compiled the new plan and sent it to Zhan Hantao and Zhuang Zhuoyuan for review and revision when they had time. With their combined efforts, five days later, coinciding with the Flying Tigers' holiday, a romantic proposal venue was finally set up.
Iris really wanted to hire a master of ceremonies and a witness. She thought, in such a beautiful place, it wouldn't be impossible for Zhan Hantao and Zhuang Zhuohua to hold a wedding ceremony on the spot. Although neither of them seemed like the type to be so impulsive, a moment of impulse is easily formed in situations like this! Just like when Zhuang Zhuoyuan proposed time and time again, every time he knelt down, her desire to marry him grew stronger. So even before she accepted his proposal, even though their status hadn't changed, she already considered herself Zhuang Zhuoyuan's wife in her heart.
Mrs. Zhuang, Mrs. Zhuang, she suddenly misses Mr. Zhuang so much.
Iris stared blankly at the railing, head down, when a figure crept closer, then wrapped his arms around her waist and hugged her from behind. Before Iris could gasp, his joy had already soothed her fright: "Baby, I'm here."
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