Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Hearing what Ling Xiaoyi said, Hong Dali suddenly felt gloomy. “Damn! What place is it? What can’t you say?”
Ling Xiaoyi quickly responded from the other side of the phone, “No, no. Today is Young Master’s coming of age ceremony. Old Master has already sent out all the invitations. I… There’s nothing here. It’s just for one night. I will seek Young Master’s help tomorrow.” She promptly hung up after saying that!
Hong Dali: “…”
Damn, it shouldn’t be like that. Hong Dali furiously stomped his feet and shouted, “She’s underestimating me as the prodigal’s son?! Am I so unreliable?! Something has happened but she’s not saying. This is embarrassing!”
Tang Muxin nodded her head vigorously. “Yes, yes. It’s ok to fool around usually, but one would be a failed prodigal’s son if we don’t do anything when the lackey is in trouble. Others will look down on us!”
Hong Dali instructed driver Wang Mingyu, “Uncle Wang, find out the location of Xiaoyi’s phone. Something must have happened. Xiaoyi’s tone didn’t sound right!”
“Yes, Young Master.” Wang Mingyu quickly fished out his phone and started dialing a number. The call got through promptly. Wang Mingyu smiled as he said, “Deputy Chief Zhang, how have you been?”
Deputy Chief Zhang laughed as he replied, “So-so. What could have happened for driver Wang to think of calling me today? Is there anything you need help with? I will definitely help you if it’s within my control.”
Wang Mingyu laughed and said, “Deputy Chief Zhang, I’m not the one looking for you. It’s my Young Master Dali.” He passed the phone to Hong Dali promptly.
Police Department’s Deputy Chief Zhang Haiyang muttered a sigh, “Young Master Dali?” He suddenly exclaimed, “Young Master Dali, the Young Master Dali you mentioned, is he…”
Hong Dali laughed and said, “Is this Uncle Zhang? I’m Hong Dali.”
When Zhang Haiyang heard Hong Dali’s voice, he replied quickly and carefully, “Nothing, it’s nothing! Young Master Dali, I didn’t think you would look for me. How can I help you?” The Hong Family that Hong Dali was from was influential through the business and political world. They were, after all, the descendants of the founding father. They may not have control over everything, but it was sufficient to ask for a favor from the Police Department’s Deputy Chief.
Hong Dali thought about it and slowly said, “It’s like this, Uncle Zhang. I have a competent staff, named Ling Xiaoyi. Something happened in her family, but she refused to tell me what was going on. Uncle Zhang, could you help me check the location of her mobile phone?”
It was not a big matter. Just checking the location of a phone number. Zhang Haiyang naturally couldn’t refuse the request. “Sure, no problem. Let me make some arrangements. Ten minutes!”
“Thank you, Uncle Zhang, hehe.” Hong Dali chuckled as he hung up the phone.
At this moment, driver Wang Mingyu asked, “Young Master, it’s only three more hours till your coming of age ceremony. Shall we return home to get ready first?”
Hong Dali sniffed. “No hurry, I have no mood for it if I don’t know what’s going on with Xiaoyi. She has followed me for quite a while, after all, and she’s a good person. I can’t sit back and do nothing.”
Hong Dali’s kindheartedness and justice warmed Wang Mingyu’s heart. “That’s true.”
No one would wish for the person that they were serving to be a heartless person blinded to humanity.
Very soon, his phone started to ring. Hong Dali picked up, and Zhang Haiyang voice came through the other end. “Young Master Dali, I found her. The last location of Ms. Ling Xiaoyi’s phone is… is…”
Hong Dali said, “Where is it? Just say it. Don’t beat around the bush.”
Zhang Haiyang paused before saying, “It’s at Tianjing West City Prison. Ms. Ling Xiaoyi actually went there. I was curious too. Hence, I asked a few of my men to find out more. It turns out her brother is in prison.”
Ling Xiaoyi’s brother was in prison?!
Hong Dali curiously asked, “It can’t be! I’ve heard her speak about her brother. He is nineteen this year and is studying at Tianjing Shifan University’s affiliated high school. Year three, class fourteen. His grades are not bad. How did he end up in prison? Did he fight with someone? Hit someone?! This doesn’t make sense!”
Zhang Haiyang was curious too, “No… No… If it were just a small matter like fighting, I could get him out of there easily. The problem is that he is there for other matters, I can’t make that decision so simply.”
“He couldn’t have killed someone?!” Hong Dali was speechless. “A matter of life or death?!” He immediately shouted through the phone, “Uncle Zhang, quickly say something, I’m anxious to death!”
“Okay, I’ll say it. But I’ll say this first, don’t get too worked up, Young Master Dali.” Zhang Haiyang gulped. “Ms. Ling Xiaoyi’s brother is Ling Mufeng. The reason he’s in prison is that… he took ‘Blue Fantasy’ and was caught.”
“Blue Fantasy?” Hong Dali curiously asked, “What is that? Don’t tell me it’s those magical little pills?”
Zhang Haiyang said, “That’s exactly it. And the aftereffects are too strong. Hence… I don’t dare to let him out easily. If he can’t bear the consequences, it will be a disaster.”
Hong Dali threw the phone on the floor in a fit. “Darn! Is that Ling Mufeng crazy to eat something like that?! Uncle Wang, let’s go to Tianjing West City Prison. I want to find out for myself why such an outstanding person would do something like that!” It was a good thing that the quality of this limited edition mobile worth 125,000 was quite good. Zhang Haiyang’s voice could still be clearly heard. “Young Master Dali, don’t get too worked up. Young Master Dali…”
Tang Muxin heard everything and was furious as well. “Sister Xiaoyi is such a nice person, why would her brother do such a thing!”
Fortunately, Wang Mingyu was experienced and spoke as he started the car, “Young Master, this is not as simple as it seems.”
Hong Dali nodded. “I know, an outstanding student might occasionally get into trouble for fights. But taking drugs? This doesn’t make sense. Xinxin, what do you think?”
Tang Muxin said, “There must be something behind it. Dali, can you sense it? The timing of this matter is too much of a coincidence.”
Hong Dali nodded. “Yes, it coincided with my coming of age ceremony. To get caught for taking drugs… Usually, when people are caught, they would have taken it a couple of times. It can’t be that he got caught for just taking it once. He must have been framed or caught due to some special reasons.”
“Yes, that’s what I suspect too.” As long as it had nothing to do with squandering, Tang Muxin was bright as usual. “Dali, think about it. If Sister Xiaoyi’s brother Ling Mufeng was tempted for some reason, and took some Blue Fantasy and got caught, it can’t be so coincidental for it to happen today, right?”
Hong Dali rubbed his chin. “Yes, yes, that’s right. Speaking of which, someone must have reported him on purpose today. And the reason was for Xiaoyi to delay me. But I’m curious,” Dali asked curiously, “It’s just a coming of age ceremony. It’s nothing important. Is there a need to do something like that?”
Tang Muxin thought about it and said, “Maybe, that’s not it. Uncle Hong has done so much for the ceremony, even transported the cruise ship. If you don’t appear at the ceremony, it will certainly not look good for him. If the guests start getting rowdy, Uncle Hong can easily have some slip-ups. You’re the star today. If you don’t appear, others can easily imply that you have no respect for others. This could become a big matter.”
“Yes, that’s true. The problem is, who would take so much effort to do this?” Hong Dali was curious. “What could be their problem? All I want to do is squander happily and lead my life happily. I don’t want to create trouble for anyone, and I don’t want to make any enemies…”
Hong Dali was indeed aggrieved.
One could say that he did nothing every day, read comics and slept in class, walked Quentin with his lackeys after class, ate when he felt like it, slept when he felt like it, and tipped when he was happy. Who would plot against such a prodigal son? What reason could there be? Why couldn’t they just let him be?
Tang Muxin assertively said, “I think someone is afraid. And he wants to give you a lesson.”
“Afraid? Me?” Hong Dali pointed at himself. “Who would be afraid of a prodigal son? It can’t be. I’m so low profile.”
Tang Muxin poked him furiously. “Low profile? You?!” He grimaced in pain and could only hear Tang Muxin say, “Who would have thought that the things you squander on could be so profitable?”
Hong Dali felt helpless and hurt. “I didn’t know, either. Let’s not talk about this. Xinxin, who do you think would do something like this? Is it someone from our family or is it an outsider?”
It was no use talking about it now. The important thing was to find out who did it.
Tang Muxin was equally curious. “Aye, there are many capable of doing this. From the start, the property you bought at the West Fourth Loop could have offended some property company. Making movies, you could have offended film companies. There are many in your family who can’t wait to see you fail. Liu Mingcheng could be a suspect too—what happened to Turkey Bookstore was partly because of you as well. And the last time when you cheated the Merikans and Koreans. It could be them too…”
Hong Dali aggressively rubbed his head. “Did I offend so many people…”
“What do you think?” Tang Muxin was worried too. “The business world is like a battlefield. For you to do as you wish, you may have caused many problems. Turkey Bookstore is a very good example. You can easily find out. There’s a saying that ‘The Rabbit Dies and the Fox is Depressed.’ Would they be next since Turkey Bookstore closed down? You’re involved in too many types of businesses. Properties, movies, novels, websites, etc. You even own a few hotels. How could they let their guard down?”
