Siheyuan (courtyard house): My father, Li Yunlong!

This Miss Bai is a legendary figure. At a young age, she assisted her father in managing a huge business. She is known for her beauty and shrewdness and is a thorny rose in the social circles of Beijing.

Why did she suddenly contact me?

Is it to seek retribution for the grain market that it has destroyed?

Or is there another picture?

Li Zhenhua quickly weighed the options.

The Bai family wields immense power, and it would be unwise to antagonize them, but we also cannot allow ourselves to be easily manipulated by them.

It's essential to meet in person to assess the situation.

"Miss Bai, you're too kind. Chairman Bai's name is renowned, and I've long admired you. But may I ask what brings us together today?"

Li Zhenhua did not agree immediately, but instead raised a question first.

Bai Manli chuckled softly on the other end of the phone, her voice as gentle as a breeze caressing the strings of a zither.

"Director Li is a straightforward person. Actually, there's nothing special about it. It's just that my father has always admired such a promising young man as Director Li, especially since Director Li has recently helped stabilize grain prices and the market, which is a great contribution to the country. My father has been full of praise for him. Therefore, he wanted to get to know him. It's purely a personal exchange, with no other intentions. Of course, if Director Li is too busy with official duties to come, Manli can understand."

On the other end of the phone.

After a moment's thought, Li Zhenhua accepted Bai Manli's invitation.

After hanging up the phone, Li Zhenhua tapped his fingertips lightly on his desk, pondering Bai Manli's intentions and those of the Shanxi Chamber of Commerce behind her.

Is it a test, an attempt to win them over, or is it an attempt to stand up for interest groups that suffered losses in the recent grain price crisis?

Regardless of the circumstances, this meeting was unavoidable, and it provided a good opportunity to glean insights into the true nature of the northern business tycoon.

He was preparing to approve the plan for technical exchanges with Soviet experts when the red secure telephone on his desk suddenly rang. The ringing was urgent and carried an unquestionable tone.

This is a direct line to high-level officials or for urgent military matters; it is not usually activated.

Li Zhenhua felt a chill and quickly picked up the receiver.

"I am Li Zhenhua."

A rough, familiar, and fiery voice came from the other end of the phone; it was his father, Li Yunlong.

"You little brat! What are you dawdling around the factory for? Get back here right now! Now! Immediately! Right now!"

The sound was so loud that the receiver buzzed, and the urgency and unquestionable tone of the voice made Li Zhenhua pause slightly.

Although Li Yunlong usually has a fiery temper, he rarely speaks to his only son in such a commanding tone, especially after the son has shown his talent and taken on an important position.

"Dad? What happened? I still have someone here..."

Li Zhenhua attempted to inquire.

"Put down even the biggest things on your mind!"

Li Yunlong interrupted him, his tone even more urgent.

"Kong Erlengzi is here too! He's waiting for you at home! Hurry up!"

After saying that, he didn't give him a chance to ask any more questions and hung up the phone with a "snap".

Hearing the busy tone on the phone, Li Zhenhua frowned.

Li Yunlong's urgency, and the sudden appearance of Uncle Kong Jie, whom he hadn't seen in a long time and who was guarding the border, at his home, must mean that something extraordinary had happened.

He quickly closed the document, stood up, grabbed his coat, told his secretary outside the door, "I have an urgent matter to attend to at home. All schedules will be postponed," and then strode out of the office.

The jeep kicked up dust on the bumpy dirt road, and Li Zhenhua's emotions rose and fell with the movement of the vehicle.

He first ruled out his parents' health problems, as Li Yunlong sounded energetic and didn't seem to be in any danger.

Could there be some change at the border?

Uncle Kong Jie has been stationed in northern Xinjiang for many years. His sudden appearance inevitably makes people think of the tense border situation.

But if it were truly a matter of national importance, Li Yunlong shouldn't have sent him home; instead, he should have sent him to the military region or a more secret location.

Various guesses swirled in my mind, but none of them felt right.

The car drove into the military compound and stopped in front of the house.

As soon as Li Zhenhua opened the car door, he sensed an unusually somber atmosphere in the courtyard.

The gate to the courtyard was ajar, and Kong Jie's jeep with military license plates was parked inside.

He straightened his collar, took a deep breath, and pushed open the door to enter.

The living room was filled with smoke.

Li Yunlong didn't pace around the room with his hands on his hips as usual. Instead, he sat with a stern face, puffing on his cigarette, his brows furrowed, staring at the map on the table without saying a word.

Kong Jie sat opposite him, his expression equally grave, oblivious to the cigarette burning his fingertips. On the coffee table between them were several enamel mugs, the tea inside long since cold.

The situation was even more serious than Li Zhenhua had anticipated.

He composed himself and strode into the living room.

"Dad, Uncle Kong, I'm back."

Li Yunlong looked up at the sound, his gaze sweeping over him like lightning. He looked him up and down, but didn't say anything, only giving a heavy "hmm".

Kong Jie stubbed out his cigarette and forced a smile.

"Zhenhua is back, please have a seat."

Li Zhenhua sat down in the chair next to them, his gaze sweeping over the faces of the two elders, waiting for them to speak.

The silence lasted for more than ten seconds before Li Yunlong abruptly stubbed out his cigarette, breaking the stillness.

"Kid, make a long story short. I called you back today because I have something important to discuss with you."

He paused, seemingly considering his words, which was quite rare for Li Yunlong, who was usually quick-witted.

"I've discussed it with your Uncle Kong, and we plan to take you to the Lin family to propose marriage tomorrow!"

"Proposing marriage?"

Li Zhenhua was stunned, genuinely surprised.

His relationship with Lin Taotao went smoothly, and both families tacitly approved of it. However, it was clearly illogical for his parents to formally and urgently propose marriage at this juncture.

He keenly sensed that the marriage proposal was probably just a pretext.

"Yes, a marriage proposal!"

Li Yunlong waved his hand, his tone leaving no room for doubt.

"Tao Tao is a good girl, and her father, Lin Jingyue, is quite a character! You two are a perfect match, so settle things as soon as possible. That way, your mother and I can finally put our minds at ease!"

His words were eloquent and respectable, but the anxiety deep in his eyes could not be hidden from Li Zhenhua.

Li Zhenhua did not respond immediately, but looked at Kong Jie instead.

Kong Jie coughed lightly and then spoke.

"Zhenhua, your father is right. The Lin family has high standards, so it's good for your future development to establish a formal relationship with them sooner rather than later. I happened to be back in Beijing to report on my work and happened to be here to witness this."

Despite this, Li Zhenhua saw a deep, unyielding worry in Kong Jie's eyes.

His mind raced, instantly connecting the various clues: Li Yunlong's unusually urgent attitude, Kong Jie's sudden appearance, the abrupt proposal of marriage...

And, a figure that has not been mentioned for a long time, yet has always weighed on Li Yunlong's mind—Ding Wei.

"Dad, Uncle Kong,"

Li Zhenhua spoke slowly, his gaze calmly meeting Li Yunlong's.

"Proposing marriage is a major event, and I am naturally willing. But isn't going tomorrow too hasty? Besides, it seems that you two have summoned me here today not for the marriage proposal, but for something more important, right?"

He paused, then uttered the name, word by word.

"Is it... related to Uncle Ding Wei?"

"Clang!"

Li Yunlong slammed his hand on the table, stood up abruptly, his eyes instantly reddening, his fierce eyes glaring at Li Zhenhua, his chest heaving violently.

Kong Jie also suddenly raised his head, looking at Li Zhenhua in shock.

"How...how did you know, kid?"

Li Yunlong's voice trembled slightly, filled with disbelief and long-suppressed pain.

Li Zhenhua understood immediately, knowing that he had guessed correctly.

He said in a deep voice.

"Dad, please sit down. Uncle Ding Wei's disappearance has been a thorn in your side for so many years. You don't say it out loud, but I can tell. This time, Uncle Kong suddenly returned to Beijing, and you were in a hurry to go to the Lin family to propose marriage. Uncle Lin holds a high position and has access to confidential information. I suspect that you may have obtained some clues about Uncle Ding Wei and want to use the marriage proposal as an opportunity to find out information from Uncle Lin, or even... see if there is any possibility of 'getting' Uncle Ding Wei out?"

Li Yunlong stared intently at his son. After a long while, as if all his strength had been drained, he slumped back into his chair, covered his face with his hands, and his shoulders trembled slightly.

This tough guy, who never flinched when facing thousands of troops on the battlefield, was now showing such a vulnerable side.

Kong Jie sighed, patted his old comrade-in-arms heavily on the shoulder, and said to Li Zhenhua.

"Zhenhua, you...you're pretty much right."

Kong Jie took a deep breath and lowered his voice.

"A while ago, Lao Li overheard a rumor from a retired comrade from the censorship department. He said that about two years ago, shortly after Ding Wei disappeared, a high-ranking official was indeed secretly investigated internally. The charges were serious and involved some extremely sensitive issues at the time... Although the old comrade couldn't be sure it was Ding Wei, the time, rank, and some vague characteristics he described all pointed to him. Lao Li judged that Ding Wei was probably too straightforward and spoke without thinking back then, making serious mistakes on some key issues, and was now under internal control. Moreover, the situation might not be optimistic."

Li Yunlong raised his head, his eyes bloodshot, and hissed.

"I'm 90% sure it's that stubborn bastard Ding Wei! I know his stubbornness too well! He must have said something he shouldn't have! But now he's nowhere to be found, dead or alive! He's a brother who crawled out of the hail of bullets with me! Back when we were crossing the grasslands, if he hadn't saved his last bite of fried noodles to feed me, I, Li Yunlong, would have been dead long ago! Now that I know he's probably being tortured in some dark place, how can I be at ease? How can I sleep at night!"

As he spoke, he became excited again.

"Lin Jingyue is in a high position, he must know the inside story! Even if I can't find out exactly where he's being held, I can at least pass on a message to ease Ding Wei's suffering, or... or see if there's any chance... This marriage proposal is just a pretext, I have to give it a try!"

Looking at his father's pained yet stubborn eyes, Li Zhenhua felt a surge of emotions.

He understood Li Yunlong's deep affection for his comrades-in-arms, and he also understood the weight that Ding Wei's matter carried in his father's heart.

However, he was even more aware of the enormous risks involved.

The issues involving Ding Wei are extremely sensitive.

Although Li Yunlong had a distinguished military record, he was upright and straightforward, and was not good at networking with high-ranking officials or political wisdom. So, his rashly going to Lin Jingyue to inquire was like playing with fire.

Not only might they get no results, but they might also arouse Lin Jingyue's vigilance and resentment, and could even jeopardize his relationship with Lin Taotao, and drag Li Zhenhua and the entire Li family into an unpredictable political vortex.

We absolutely cannot let them go like this!

Li Zhenhua made a quick decision.

He stood up, walked up to Li Yunlong, and looked at his father with a firm gaze.

"Dad, I understand your thoughts. Uncle Ding Wei is also my elder, and I can't ignore his situation."

Li Yunlong and Kong Jie looked at him at the same time, a glimmer of hope igniting in their eyes.

"but,"

Li Zhenhua changed the subject, his tone becoming calm and forceful.

"The marriage proposal shouldn't be rushed, and it certainly shouldn't be used as a way to pry into confidential information. That's disrespectful to Uncle Lin and to Tao Tao. Besides, Dad, have you considered how Uncle Lin will react if you and Uncle Kong ask him directly like that? Do you think he'd casually reveal that level of confidentiality? If we anger him or the news leaks out, not only will we not be able to save Uncle Ding Wei, but we might also drag our whole family down with us!"

Li Yunlong opened his mouth, wanting to refute, but Li Zhenhua's words were all reasonable, and he was powerless to refute them. He could only clench his fists in resentment.

"Then what do you suggest we do? Are we just going to stand by and watch Old Ding..."

Li Yunlong's voice was filled with helplessness.

"Of course not!"

Li Zhenhua said firmly.

"This matter needs to be handled differently. I'll take charge."

"you?"

Li Yunlong and Kong Jie were both stunned.

Yes, it's me.

Li Zhenhua nodded confidently.

"First of all, Tao Tao and I have a stable relationship, and visiting Uncle Lin is inevitable, but it must be done at the right time, in a formal and respectful manner, not with a strong utilitarian purpose like this. Secondly, regarding Uncle Ding Wei..."

He looked at Li Yunlong with a deep gaze.

"Dad, do you trust my current judgment and ability to handle things?"

Looking into his son's calm, deep, and seemingly all-seeing eyes, and recalling his son's manipulative methods both inside and outside the factory in recent years, as well as his increasingly sophisticated cunning, Li Yunlong finally nodded slowly.

"Of course I believe you! You've got your wings now, you're more capable than me!"

"Then I'll do as you say."

Li Zhenhua said in a deep voice.

"The marriage proposal will be postponed for now. I'll wait until I find a suitable opportunity to formally communicate with Tao Tao before paying a proper visit to the Lin family. As for Uncle Ding Wei's matter..."

He paused, then spoke slowly and deliberately.

"I will find an opportunity to inquire with Uncle Lin privately."

"Are you going alone?"

Kong Jie was somewhat worried.

"Zhenhua, this isn't just about logistics at the factory; this is a matter of great importance..."

"Uncle Kong, I understand."

Li Zhenhua interrupted him, his tone carrying an unquestionable confidence.

"Precisely because this matter is of great importance, we must not be rash. As a junior, it would be much safer for me to bring it up casually, or to subtly allude to it during discussions of certain policies or history, than for you two to come directly to question me. Uncle Lin is a wise man; some things are best left unsaid. Even if he refuses to answer or offers a warning, there is room for maneuver, and he won't immediately escalate the situation. I will be careful to maintain appropriate boundaries."

He looked at Li Yunlong, his tone softening and becoming reassuring.

"Dad, I know you're anxious. But saving Uncle Dingwei is like attacking a fortified city; we can't just charge in headfirst. We need strategy and patience. I promise you, as long as there's a glimmer of hope, I will do everything in my power. But the condition is that you trust me and don't act on your own and disrupt my plans."

Li Yunlong stared intently into his son's eyes, as if trying to discern some semblance of confidence within them.