Chapter 142: Gains and Losses

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The news of Lu Jing and her son being suddenly taken away reached Leijiang, catching many by surprise. Not only was the police powerless, but even the perpetually unlucky Ni San became uneasy and cautious. Fang Xiong’s confident plan was completely foiled.

In his shock, Fang Xiong calmed himself and reflected on the information he had obtained and the actions he had taken. He was disheartened to realize he had been overconfident and rash, underestimating Kang Ning’s strength and background. In the blink of an eye, he had lost the perfect opportunity to trap Kang Ning. The strategy to control Lu Jing and her son to force Kang Ning’s appearance had become a wishful delusion.

To this day, Fang Xiong had not discovered the true nature of Kang Ning’s relationship with the military, nor had he further investigated Kang Ning’s background. Although Lan Jianguo, quick to react, had forwarded a notice from the Guangxi Provincial Department about the ongoing nationwide manhunt for Kang Ning, with plans for a nationwide alert soon, all signs seemed to point to the fact that this mechanic Kang Ning was no ordinary man. He must be connected to important information beyond Fang Xiong’s current understanding.

Fang Xiong deeply regretted his arrogance and rashness. He regretted not fully mobilizing his network and the various forces in Leijiang to bring Lu Jing and her son back at the earliest moment to lure out Kang Ning. Now, having lost these key “hostages,” his original plan and recent efforts seemed to have vanished in an instant. It was a classic case of losing everything due to a single misstep.

At this moment, Fang Xiong even questioned himself: Was what he did right or wrong? Was it worth it?

A series of sudden blows, both economic and political, seemed to have occurred after his determination to capture Kang Ning, and the losses kept mounting, all seeming to spiral toward the worst outcome. Could all these disheartening consequences be the ill fate brought on by his carefully considered decision?

In contrast, between the unknown Southeast Asian trade opportunities and the possible loss of a stable rear base, which was more significant? How could gains and losses be properly weighed?

Putting aside Ni San’s loss of a million and the string of tragic deaths among his men, the sudden restlessness of the Pan family, a powerful local gang from Zigong, made Fang Xiong extremely uneasy.

The Pan family’s nephew had been beaten into a mental wreck on Fang Xiong’s turf and subsequently subjected to repeated police interrogations. Filled with resentment, the Pan family sent a dozen men to Leijiang to investigate. Now, it seemed they were blaming Ni San entirely, and rumors in the underworld suggested the Pan family was secretly preparing a retaliatory strike.

If the Pan family suddenly made trouble at this critical moment, the already chaotic Leijiang would descend further into turmoil. The Fang clan would likely suffer even greater losses as a result.

What troubled Fang Xiong even more was that Ni San and two of his trusted men were carousing in the Xiaoyao Pavilion when their guns and money were stolen right under their noses. Upon receiving this bad news, Fang Xiong was shocked and immediately had a bad feeling. When the ballistic analysis of the Echo Bar shooting came back, the two who lost their guns were immediately suspended and investigated. One was even summoned to the provincial office for a "work report" and had not returned since.

Fang Xiong, familiar with the rules of officialdom, knew very well: these two capable men, supported personally by his father, were finished for life. The half of the empire painstakingly built by two generations of the Fang family no longer seemed so secure.

The new factory was still sealed off by the special investigation team, with every door except the restroom marked with official seals.

The massive smuggling case remained under investigation by the task force. It was said that domestic authorities had generously shared intelligence with the Taiwanese police. Lin Jinxiong, wanted by both sides, had narrowly escaped five days ago to Malaysia and lost contact with Fang Xiong.

However, the domestic personnel were not as fortunate. Sixteen officials from the Trade Bureau, Tax Bureau, and economic departments of the city government were all taken to Fuling City, several hundred kilometers away, for isolated review. These people seemed to be finished.

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Such greedy, cowardly parasites were clean only if not investigated. Once examined carefully under the powerful task force, none would be found innocent. Some of the cowards might even confess to petty sins like secretly peeping on women bathing.

After pondering for nearly half a day, Fang Xiong’s mind was a tangled mess without any gains. The Leijiang police were overwhelmed by the shooting and drug cases, and the entire local government was thrown into turmoil by the arrival of the special task force and major criminal investigations. Though the political enemies suppressed by the elder Fang for years still maintained a polite facade, they were clearly sniffing out the shifting winds keenly...

Amid this chaotic situation, Fang Xiong found it difficult to mobilize legitimate forces to capture the missing fugitive Kang Ning. He hesitated whether to seek help from Lan Jianguo or leverage his connections to first verify Kang Ning’s identity before deciding on the next step. He also wavered over whether to call Ni San to discuss strategies, and how to protect Secretary Huang and others currently under investigation away from home through his family’s network.

The Fang clan had sacrificed pawns before, but this time the losses were too many... For a time, Fang Xiong felt dejected and powerless, as if no solid solution existed for any of his problems.

Just as Fang Xiong was about to look for his father, his phone rang at the right moment.

After the call, Fang Xiong rushed downstairs without even informing Zheng Yi, jumped into his car, and sped out of the residential area.

Upstairs, Zheng Yi sighed as she watched the car disappear.

On Fang Xiong’s first day back in Leijiang, when Zheng Yi inquired, he had neatly passed off the special investigation case at the new factory. But after Secretary Huang and several key Leijiang officials were taken away by the task force, rumors surged and the atmosphere grew tense. Zheng Yi grew suspicious of Fang Xiong’s explanation because she knew many of those taken were loyalists left behind by the elder Fang before his retirement. These people had always maintained close ties with Fang Xiong, consulting the elder Fang on major matters. In both business and politics, they acted as one. Thus, Fang Xiong’s explanation seemed forced and perfunctory.

In recent days, Fang Xiong’s uncharacteristic behavior worried Zheng Yi deeply. Several times, she noticed he was frequently going out late at night or secluded in his study, talking on the phone for long stretches. His seemingly calm and composed smile could not hide the restlessness and anxiety behind his crystal glasses. Once, Zheng Yi even clearly heard Kang Ning’s name mentioned in a phone call. This made her anxious and eager to ask what was going on, but Fang Xiong always hurried away before she could speak.

Frustrated, Zheng Yi picked up her phone, hesitated briefly, then called Meng Meng. After a brief greeting, she got straight to the point.

“Meng Meng, is Jing Jie alright?” Zheng Yi asked with concern.

“Jing Jie and the baby have left the hospital, Yi Jie. Jing Jie asked me to tell you she’ll call you once she’s settled,” came the reply.

Zheng Yi was stunned. “What? Where did she go? Why haven’t I heard anything?”

“Yi Jie, maybe you don’t know yet, but because of Xiao Ning’s situation, Jing Jie and the baby’s circumstances were very dangerous. They could have been harmed like Sister Meilin. During Jing Jie’s hospital stay, the police and gangs swarmed the ward like flies. I heard from Brother Gao that at least dozens of people from Leijiang were monitoring the hospital inside and out. If not for some friends of Brother Du helping, Jing Jie might have been forcibly taken away by those from Leijiang on the baby’s third day after birth. After being refused by the Chengdu police, those people guarded the hospital day and night waiting for Xiao Ning to appear. Fortunately, Jing Jie and her son left safely with sudden military personnel. I heard they were moved to a field hospital to stay. As for where they are now, I’m not very sure. Let’s wait for Jing Jie to call us.”

Meng Meng had faithfully followed Kang Ning’s instructions not to involve Zheng Yi, not out of distrust, but to avoid bringing trouble to her.

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After a moment of silence, Zheng Yi asked: “What about Xiao Ning?”

“He left too...”

Meng Meng’s voice seemed to break with sobs through the phone.

Zheng Yi bit her lip, hesitated briefly, then made up her mind. “Meng Meng, I’m heading to Chengdu soon. I’ll also leave the proceeds from selling the house with you for Jing Jie. Please wait for me at home, okay?”

“Okay.”

That evening, Zheng Yi drove her maroon BMW 535 into Chengdu and soon arrived at the picturesque Jin Xiu Garden by the Qingshui River. Meng Meng was already waiting downstairs. After parking, the two close friends quickly went upstairs.

Zheng Yi put down her water glass, took out a bank card from her bag, and handed it to Meng Meng, then worriedly asked, “This is the 300,000 from selling the house. Please hold it for Jing Jie for now. Sigh, if Jing Jie doesn’t call, where else can we look for her? I have no idea how she and the baby are doing now. It’s really worrying.”

Meng Meng felt sorry seeing Zheng Yi so upset. After some thought, she decided to share a bit about Lu Jing’s whereabouts. “It wasn’t easy to say over the phone this afternoon, so I’ll tell you now what happened after Jing Jie left: Although we haven’t heard from Jing Jie yet, I estimate she and the baby have safely reached Xiao Ning’s parents’ place. I really want to fly over and see them, but...”

“Heavens! So soon? Why did Xiao Ning keep this from us?” Zheng Yi was amazed by Kang Ning’s arrangements. She hadn’t imagined he had such resources.

Meng Meng smiled wryly. “I only learned the day before Jing Jie left. I heard Xiao Ning’s grandfather is a military man, and his father grew up in the barracks. Jing Jie’s safe departure was probably thanks to his father’s help. We all doubted his identity before but never pressed him. He always dodged our questions. Now I see he’s been troubled too! I’ve been analyzing for days—the reason Xiao Ning’s case hasn’t progressed is because his enemies are powerful. The military can’t interfere in local affairs. It seems Xiao Ning’s family still hasn’t found solid evidence to prove his innocence. Otherwise, considering his father’s arrangements, there’d be no reason for Xiao Ning to remain a fugitive.”

Zheng Yi nodded. “That makes sense. But right now, there’s nothing we can do. We don’t know how Xiao Ning is. His old phone is always off, and I guess he won’t use it anymore. It’s so worrying. Meng Meng, do you have Xiao Ning’s new number?”

Meng Meng hesitated about whether to give Kang Ning’s latest number to Zheng Yi. Suddenly, the phone on the table rang, ringing three times before automatically disconnecting.