Ji Fanyang felt that Lu Hui’s understanding of the concept of “family gathering” was problematic, especially when he pushed open the door, and Lu Hui hid behind him, refusing to look up. Faced with Lu An, the future son-in-law of the Lu family, Wei Congjia, and Song Dian and Lu Qingqiong on the screen, a tremendous sense of absurdity overwhelmed them.
“Xiao Hui is here, let’s eat,” Lu An pulled Lu Hui out from behind Ji Fanyang and pressed him into a seat. “Do you think Xiao Ji can stop you?”
“I think he can. If you all think so, I can even pretend to be invisible.” Lu Hui, sitting down, didn’t forget to pull Ji Fanyang to his side to shield him. “You sit here.”
“Alright.” Ji Fanyang couldn’t break free and had to sit down, politely smiling at Lu Qingqiong and Song Dian. “Good evening, Uncle and Aunt.”
“Hello, Xiao Ji, thanks for taking care of Lu Hui,” Lu Qingqiong said, conveniently forgetting that Ji Fanyang was the reason Lu Hui ran back to Zhuchuan Province for an adventure.
“Let’s eat,” Song Dian glanced at Lu Hui and said something that made Lu Hui almost choke on his food, “In a week, we’ll go to Zhongchuan.”
Lu Hui choked and almost swallowed his chopsticks. He quickly drank water to digest this earth-shattering news. “No.”
Ji Fanyang patted Lu Hui’s arm.
Song Dian, accustomed to his son’s rebellion, said, “You have no choice.”
“I can’t hear, I can’t hear.” Lu Hui shook his head like a tambourine, quickly finished the rice in his bowl, and said to Wei Congjia, “I have something to talk to you about, let’s go outside.”
“Huh?” Wei Congjia, suddenly involved in a family war, looked innocent. He turned to look at Lu An’s expression.
Lu An sighed. “Go with him.”
So Lu Hui and Wei Congjia walked out of the private room, leaving Ji Fanyang and Lu An inside.
Ji Fanyang looked at Lu An, unsure whether to eat or leave. Lu An smiled and reassured him, “Go ahead, my parents have gone to eat.”
Ji Fanyang raised his head, and indeed, there was no sign of Lu Qingqiong and Song Dian on the screen. He breathed a sigh of relief. “Lu Hui seems to be in a good mood today.”
“Really?” Lu An responded gently, enjoying hearing things about Lu Hui. “Does he have someone he likes?”
“Are you talking about finding a partner?” Ji Fanyang smiled bitterly and shook his head. “I’m afraid not.”
“It doesn’t have to be a girl,” Lu An said meaningfully.
Ji Fanyang blinked, not sure how to react, and continued eating in silence.
Outside the door.
“Xu Changli, do you know?” Lu Hui asked.
Wei Congjia thought for a moment and said, “Not much of an impression.”
“He is the new captain transferred to the Zhongchuan City Bureau, formerly of the Linhe District Public Security Bureau.” Lu Hui said, “Zhongchuan City’s Linhe District is right where the Liu family’s house is located.”
“You’re so suspicious?” Wei Congjia frowned. “So you think he has ulterior motives?”
“Not necessarily, just doubtful.” Lu Hui explained, “I need you to lead a team tomorrow to wait outside a warehouse near Sanwan River as backup. If there’s a problem with the call to the Fifth Team, then you can go in.”
“Okay.” Wei Congjia nodded, thinking of something unusual. “Why don’t you let Ji Fanyang know about this?”
“I…” Lu Hui cleared his throat to disguise his unease. “I want to toughen him up a bit. You know, if he wants to become a real police officer, he has to toughen up.”
“Is that so?” Wei Congjia half-believed and half-doubted.
“Yes, yes.” Lu Hui kept saying as he pushed Wei Congjia into the private room. “Go in and eat quickly.”
As everyone took their seats, Lu Hui picked up his coat. “We’re leaving; we have something to do tomorrow.”
“Sit down.” Song Dian appeared on the screen, frowning. “Do you have someone you like?”
“No.” Lu Hui replied.
“You’re thirty-five already.” Lu Qingqiong advised, “It’s time to find someone to restrain you from going too far.”
“I’ll have my sister have a grandson, or use surrogacy.” Lu Hui frowned with extreme disgust. “Ji Fanyang can restrain me.”
“What if he gets married?” Song Dian asked.
Lu Hui turned his head and looked straight at the young man who was trying to lower his presence. “Who do you like?”
Ji Fanyang felt that if he answered this question, Lu Hui would tear him to pieces. Survival instinct made him shake his head. “Not yet.”
“Even if he gets married at thirty, there are still two years.” Lu Hui, with a gloomy face, stood up and put on his coat. “I can live on my own.”
Lu Qingqiong wanted to say something more but was stopped by Song Dian.
Lu Hui walked out of the room in large strides, and Ji Fanyang quickly stood up and followed.
“Have you eaten?” Ji Fanyang tried to ease the awkward atmosphere with small talk. “I actually think…”
“You haven’t eaten?” Lu Hui interrupted the young man and walked to the street corner to buy two corn cobs. He handed one to Ji Fanyang and started peeling the other. “Tomorrow, we’ll go check out that warehouse near Sanwan River.”
“Sure.” Ji Fanyang took a bite of the corn cob, enjoying the sweet and sticky taste. “Delicious.”
Lu Hui stretched his eyebrows, broke the corn cob in half, and took a bite. “After this is over, do you plan to go back to the capital to meet your parents?”
“Maybe.” Ji Fanyang said, “Or I can call them.”
“Don’t want to go back?” Lu Hui keenly sensed Ji Fanyang’s hesitant tone.
“Yeah.” Ji Fanyang finished the corn cob in three bites, threw it in the trash, and said, “I don’t want to meet the niece of some seventh or eighth aunt.”
The twisted relationships amused Lu Hui, and he chuckled as he bit the corn cob, looking like a big squirrel.
Early the next morning, Lu Hui drove with Ji Fanyang to a warehouse near Sanwan River, C-85.
“We didn’t bring guns.” Ji Fanyang asked worriedly, “Will it be okay?”
“Registering firearms will alert some people.” Lu Hui said cautiously. He parked the car in an inconspicuous corner, switched his phone to video mode, lowered his voice, and opened the warehouse door a crack. “Come in.”
Ji Fanyang followed behind Lu Hui, and the two climbed to the second floor along a narrow staircase. Lu Hui bent down and hid behind a box, finding a good angle to secretly observe.
There were three or four trucks parked in the warehouse, and it seemed that they had arrived early, as there was no one in the warehouse yet.
After about two hours, the warehouse door opened, and the first person appeared, a short man.
Half an hour later, a group of men walked in, and the man leading them impatiently said, “When is that woman coming? Taking so long.”
“Sister Wei will be here soon.” The short man nodded and bowed, “Trust our Liu family, the goods are pure.”
“At this critical moment, besides me, no one dares to take pure goods.” The man sneered at the short man, “If Liu Kai dies, your Liu family is finished. What use is a woman?”
“A woman can make you take the risk of receiving the goods.” Liu Wei pushed open the door and walked in, pulling out a pistol from her bag and pointing it at the man. “Don’t want to die? Then shut up.”
The man was not panicked; he turned around to face Liu Wei. “Do you think I came empty-handed?” He waved his hand, and four people behind him took out pistols, aiming them at Liu Wei. He snapped his fingers. “It’s a bit awkward, how about everyone calm down a bit?”
The atmosphere froze, and a gunfight was on the verge of breaking out.
Lu Hui and Ji Fanyang hid behind wooden boxes, trying not to breathe loudly. Only the time digits next to the record button on the phone were jumping.
Just as upstairs and downstairs, both eavesdroppers and those involved in the transaction held their breath, Ji Fanyang suddenly leaned in close to Lu Hui.
Lu Hui was startled, stabilizing the phone to prevent it from slipping.
Just as Liu Wei moved behind the truck and pulled out a wooden box, opened it, pried open the sandwich layer, revealing neatly arranged small bags of white powder, Lu Hui dialed his phone and then stood up, shouting, “Nobody move! Police!”
