How much money Lan Feng Huang could earn in a year was something people outside the clothing business couldn’t estimate.
But it was certainly more than what one could earn from a regular job. While Liang Bing An’s previous position had social status and a salary that surpassed what individual merchants made… Liu Fang’s job as a salesperson at the state-owned store technically offered more security than Liu Fen’s position helping at the clothing store.
But now? Liu Fen wasn’t just an employee – she was one of the owners!
While the Liang family was on a downward trajectory, the Xia Xiao Lan household was ascending. This stark contrast left both Liu Fang and Liang Huan dispirited. Liu Fang didn’t even have the energy to put on an act anymore. After hastily visiting the grave, she took the Liang siblings back home.
Her lack of drama surprised Liu Yong. Li Feng Mei still gave red envelopes to Liang Huan and Liang Yu but didn’t invite the mother and children to stay for dinner.
“Has she changed?”
They had expected her to harass Fen and Xiao Lan, but there was no disturbance.
Li Feng Mei smiled. “Changed? No, she’s just been shocked. You don’t understand your own sister’s personality – she can’t stand seeing Fen doing better than her. Having someone else raise a daughter who’s more outstanding than her daughter makes her extremely uncomfortable. And now knowing that Fen might be involved with the Mayor… she must be suffering terribly!”
“Don’t spread rumors – nothing’s settled between Fen and Mayor Tang.”
As Liu Fang’s brother, Liu Yong couldn’t refute Li Feng Mei’s assessment of his sister, but when it came to Liu Fen and Tang Hong En’s relationship, he instinctively objected.
Li Feng Mei rolled her eyes – only Fen thought things weren’t settled. Hadn’t Mayor Tang joined them for grave-sweeping today? How could there be any doubt?
…
Zhou Cheng spent his Spring Festival on the vast ocean.
On New Year’s Eve, while the trainees couldn’t watch the Spring Festival Gala, each bowl of noodles came with a fried egg and two thick slices of cured meat – this was their New Year’s Eve dinner.
During these special circumstances, they couldn’t cater to the trainees’ diverse regional tastes. Rice needed side dishes, but noodles were more convenient – they could cook a huge pot of noodles at once, with unlimited portions. Anyone still hungry could help themselves to more from the pot!
The fried egg and cured meat were standard. The salty cured meat paired with plain noodles, eaten in small bites, was particularly satisfying.
“Squad Leader Zhou, is this our last mission?”
Shi Kai, whom Zhou Cheng had once saved, had become Zhou Cheng’s closest colleague. Coming over with his noodle bowl, Shi Kai’s face was covered in dry skin from the sea winds.
The group had been out for three months. Some got seasick when they first boarded, but now everyone had adapted.
If this mission continued, Shi Kai worried his unit designation might change. Though they were considered cadres after their promotion, they couldn’t take care of their families. During holidays, if they were on a mission, they couldn’t even send a greeting letter home – they were completely out of contact.
These were the unit’s regulations, something both Shi Kai and their families had to endure. Shi Kai wanted to return to the academy soon.
During the advanced training period, they had family visit leave. Once the mission ended, he wanted to go home to see his family.
Zhou Cheng understood Shi Kai’s meaning – which trainee didn’t miss home? He missed his family too. He hadn’t gone back for last Spring Festival, and this year he was even further away. Since starting work, he seemed to have never spent Spring Festival with his family… Thinking about how his wife might face yearly disappointments in the future, Zhou Cheng felt dejected.
“Whether this is the last mission depends on if we can catch the big water rat.”
The trainees called smugglers “water rats” – slippery on the sea, doing their business secretly, just like water rats.
Shi Kai understood the reasoning, but he particularly missed his family at that moment.
Zhou Cheng finished his noodle soup. “Everyone in the team misses home. If we catch the big water rat this time, the higher-ups might approve some leave.”
These words reinvigorated Shi Kai.
“These rats don’t even rest during New Year!”
The smugglers didn’t care about New Year’s – in fact, they were more active because they thought customs inspection would be less stringent. Zhou Cheng didn’t know where the intelligence came from, but this time they were targeting Cheng Rong Group’s people.
This precise targeting of Cheng Rong Group – perhaps Uncle Kang had helped.
Or maybe Mayor Tang had contributed too.
Cheng Rong Group was too brazen – after their big ship was seized in Min Province, they hadn’t stayed quiet for long before trying to make a comeback, even arranging delivery near the Special Zone. Considering the mess in the Du family relationships, Zhou Cheng guessed Liu Tian Quan was deliberately trying to undermine Du Zhao Hui.
Just because Du Zhao Hui had hit Kang Wei, they wouldn’t arrest Liu Tian Quan.
Of course not!
Smuggling had to be cracked down upon – Kang Lian Ming wouldn’t do anything so foolish.
One matter at a time – the harder they hit Cheng Rong Group’s smuggling business, while seemingly helping Du Zhao Hui eliminate competition, actually weakened the Du family’s overall strength. The Special Zone needed investment – clean investment, not investments that served as a front to cover up smuggling operations.
Zhou Cheng guessed Mayor Tang agreed with Uncle Kang because he wanted to completely separate the two forces within the Cheng Rong Group.
Liu Tian Quan thought customs inspection would be weaker during the Spring Festival, with customs inspection teams on holiday, but Zhou Cheng’s squad was waiting for the water rats to walk into their trap.
By the evening of New Year’s Day, Zhou Cheng and his team had been watching the area for several days.
The sea surface was calm, but something was suspicious.
Even customs was on holiday during New Year’s – why would fishing boats go out?
For Chinese people who traditionally celebrate the Spring Festival, choosing to brave the cold winds at sea instead of enjoying family reunions – something was wrong.
“Let’s follow them.”
This time, the water rats’ trading location was different – no reefs to hide behind, and the coastline was bare without cover, so Zhou Cheng’s team couldn’t sneak up secretly.
Now these boats were posing as receivers.
If the original receivers had been detained, otherwise, they wouldn’t have gotten such specific intelligence.
Zhou Cheng’s team also used fishing boats. On the pitch-black sea surface, theirs wasn’t the only vessel. When they spotted the large ship, Zhou Cheng wanted to laugh – it was the big water rat.
Liu Tian Quan, now managing the Du family’s smuggling business, must have gotten overconfident to operate on such a large scale – truly courting death.
This should be Liu Tian Quan’s first major operation – would he show up in person? If they could catch Liu Tian Quan, Zhou Cheng would be very happy. Zhou Cheng was protective – though Liu Yong wasn’t his uncle by blood, he was his wife’s uncle, how could he let anyone bully him?
Liu Tian Quan was even Du Zhao Hui’s uncle-in-law – if Liu Tian Quan fell… Du Zhao Hui might gloat, but the Du family would feel the pain.
As they approached the large ship, a strong beam of light shot toward them, making Zhou Cheng unable to open his eyes.
“Tian Gang Village, Boss Yang’s goods.”
There was such a person, but as the light swept back and forth, Boss Yang was nowhere to be seen.
**A trainee cursed in Guangdong dialect: “The boss has to spend New Year with family, are you stupid!”
These idiots were getting cocky before even receiving the goods! However, this outburst helped reduce suspicion. Just as the ship lowered the rope ladder, Ma Zai, who had been caught once before, was more cautious and swept the light around again.
Though Zhou Cheng had blackened his face and changed clothes, could Ma Zai forget that face?
Damn it, he dared to come again!
Ma Zai felt his back tingling. He signaled to the people beside him while turning the spotlight away:
“Hurry up and come get the goods! Stop dawdling – it’ll be dawn soon!”