Chapter 2361 - 2362: Mysterious Gift
Chapter 2361: Chapter 2362: Mysterious Gift
Lin Yi nodded and took out his phone.
However, instead of calling Liang Xianghe, he first called Liu Hong.
Even though he had a closer relationship with Liang Xianghe, Lin Yi did not want to take any measures without consulting others, so he decided to inform Liu Hong first.
After talking back and forth on the phone for over twenty minutes, Lin Yi explained the whole situation to Liu Hong.
The latter didn’t give any instructions but just told Lin Yi to wait for his message.
Both Lin Yi and Lin Jingzhan knew that Liu Hong didn’t have the authority to decide; he had to report to Liang Xianghe immediately.
As for the rest, it was just a matter of waiting for news.
The group returned to Jiuzhou Pavilion, and Lin Yi also asked Xiao Bing to buy some things, including a few cases of beer.
“Since there’s nothing pressing today, let’s drink here.”
The father and son tacitly agreed, clinked their beer cans gently, and downed them in one go.
Just then, Xiao Bing handed Lin Yi his mobile phone.
“Lin Bro, there’s news.”
“What news?”
Lin Yi took the phone and glanced at it, his pupils shrinking slightly.
The message was a TikTok video, posted by the state media.
The information in the video wasn’t extensive; faithful to media style, the less text there is, the more serious the matter, and the video abided by this rule.
It exposed the photos of seven people, Connolly and six Masters.
Their identities were not disclosed; it was only mentioned that they were part of a foreign smuggling group, which was eventually caught by customs.
To the general populace, this information was not new as such incidents are common, but then again, this information wasn’t meant for the general populace to start with.
“You seem unfazed,” Lin Yi remarked to Lin Jingzhan.
“It’s pretty much what I expected, but his handling was more aggressive than I anticipated.”
“Exposing these people’s identities is akin to laying the cards on the table with the Freemasons. Elder Lu is playing it big this time, but it’s quite thrilling,” Lin Yi commented with a smile.
“He must have been holding this in for a long time, and now with such a significant incident, he inevitably wants to showcase China’s potential strength to the world.”
Lin Jingzhan, holding his beer, said, “One deputy supervisor and six Grand Wardens, this offering is indeed sumptuous.”
“Does this count as a warning to others? The foreign powers shouldn’t aim for that thing anymore, right?” Xiao Bing inquired:
“Also, having lost a deputy supervisor and six Masters, they should be significantly weakened now, will they withdraw from the global stage?”
After a moment of silence, Lin Jingzhan thought, “Significantly weakened is a bit of an exaggeration; the Grand Wardens do hold a certain status in the Freemasons, but not as much as you imagine. Given one or two years, they can replenish their ranks with twelve Grade B Grand Wardens. The real significance here is Connolly; his position in the Freemasons is pivotal. But to say they’d withdraw from the global stage is premature; the Freemasons have developed over so many years; it’s not that simple.”
“So for now, it should be pretty safe, right? No one should dare target that ancient manuscript again,” Luo Qi asked.
“With Elder Lu making such a move, foreign forces likely won’t dare, but I can’t guarantee the same for other countries.”
“Other countries?”
Lin Jingzhan nodded and said:
“I wouldn’t dare say about others, but America definitely won’t give up, along with Europe, Japan, and Korea, they might also get involved, but they probably won’t target domestically. How this matter will evolve depends on how Elder Lu maneuvers, so you all prepare accordingly. The Central Guards Brigade should soon be calling you back and assigning new operational tasks.”
Lin Yi listened quietly, feeling that the situation was more complex than they had anticipated. Balancing the international situation was not an easy task.
It seemed that besides Liang Xianghe, no one else could manage these affairs clearly.
Late at 11 pm that night, after drinking a few cases of beer and having some snacks, the rest of the group went back to rest, leaving Lin Yi and Lin Jingzhan at Villa Number One. No one knew what the father and son discussed afterward.
That night, both of them ended up sleeping on the couch, twisted in awkward positions, like homeless people by the roadside.
In the morning, Lin Jingzhan got up to freshen up and then took a taxi to the airport to return to Yanjing and meet Qin Yingyue.
“Boss, what should we do now? Wait for news from the brigade?” Xiao Bing asked.
Lin Yi nodded, then looked at the date on his phone and said:
“Tomorrow is the fifteenth of the first lunar month. You all go back to your families and celebrate the festival; there’s no need to be overly anxious, just wait for the notification.”
“Alright.”
After settling the formalities, Lin Yi drove to Chaoyang Group.
Given the current situation, the Central Guards Brigade seemed to be at the center of the storm.
From the outside, it might look turbulent, but being in the center, there was a kind of calmness as if sitting firmly at fishing stations amid rising winds and waves.
For a moment, this made Lin Yi somewhat at a loss, feeling unsure of what to do.
But he also believed that this calmness might not last long; one trouble after another was bound to follow.
Arriving at Chaoyang Group, Lin Yi opened the office door to find Ji Qingyan sitting in the chair, reviewing documents.
“Don’t just sit there, if it’s just about reading documents, you might as well lie on the couch.”
Hearing Lin Yi’s voice, Ji Qingyan turned her head, but the smile on her face abruptly stopped.
“What happened to your face? Why is your mouth still bruised?”
“Got into a fight outside.”
Ji Qingyan’s expression was slightly resentful, with lots to say, but in the end, she swallowed her words.
He had his unfinished business and missions, and she didn’t feel it was her place to say much.
“Does it hurt? Feeling better now?”
“Look at me, lively and well, could there be anything wrong?” Lin Yi said, smiling:
“If it weren’t for your pregnancy, I’d have surely set a storm in the office.”
Giving Lin Yi a nonplussed look, Ji Qingyan pinched his waist.
“Did you send Uncle off?”
“He left this morning.”
“Didn’t I tell you to keep him here? Have him stay in Zhong Hai for a few more days, why the rush to leave? You never take my words seriously.”
“He can’t stay idle, running all over the world. Except for my mom, no one can keep him by her side. Keeping him in Zhong Hai, you’d have to entertain him, and you wouldn’t find it bothersome, but I’d worry you’d get tired.”
Ji Qingyan pouted and sat back in her chair.
“Honestly, I always get nervous when I see him, but I feel really close when I’m with Uncle Zhao. Maybe it’s because I’m not familiar with him.”
“It’s normal; not many people can relax around him, you’ll get used to it slowly.”
Ji Qingyan chuckled, “Let’s not talk about that now, I’ve prepared something for you, guess what it is?”