Evening.
Lü'an City.
The sky was still bright as the sun set in the west.
A Porsche driving down the highway drew quite a few curious looks. It was a car worth over three million, with the plate number 9999 and a Capital license plate. It would have been strange if it hadn't attracted attention.
Inside the car, Xie Huilan was driving home from work.
Dong Xuebin, meanwhile, sat in the passenger seat, answering one call after another.
"Hello, Director Dong... ah, no, County Chief Dong."
"Is that Old Chen? Heh, how have you been lately?"
"Everything's good. Thank you for thinking of me, County Chief Dong."
"You called because you needed something, right? Go ahead."
"It's nothing. I heard you were back and that you'd been injured."
"Just a minor injury, nothing serious. Let's have a meal together another day and talk then."
"Sure. You get back to your work. Whenever you're free, us old subordinates will treat you to dinner."
He had barely hung up when his phone rang again. This call was from Dong Xuebin's old acquaintance, Luo Haiting. Luo Haiting had now taken over Dong Xuebin's former post as the City Discipline Inspection Committee's Discipline Inspection and Supervision Office Director.
"Heh, Sister Luo."
"Director, how have you been lately?"
"Not bad. I heard you've been making quite a name for yourself recently."
"No, heh. If I have, it's thanks to you."
"It's been a long time since all of us got together. I'll host a dinner another day and treat everyone."
"Sure, then we'll be waiting for that meal. By the way, how many days are you staying this time?"
"I'm on medical leave. At the very least, ten days to half a month. I'm not in a hurry to leave, so I've got plenty of time."
"Then I'm relieved. I was worried you'd leave as soon as you arrived and I wouldn't be able to find you. It's settled, then. I won't stand on ceremony over this meal."
"No problem. We'll set a date then."
"I know you're busy, so I won't disturb you any longer."
As soon as that call ended, Dong Xuebin had just taken a sip of water and caught his breath when the next call came in.
This time, it was Geng Yuehua's younger brother, Geng Xinke. "Hello, County Chief Dong. I heard you're back?"
Dong Xuebin said with a wry smile, "I've only been back for a few hours. How do all of you already know?"
Geng Xinke laughed too. "It'd be strange if we didn't. The moment you got back, you caused quite a stir over at Fourth Middle School. I heard you didn't say a single word. You just stood there and scared off more than a hundred parents?"
Dong Xuebin broke out in a sweat. "That's all rumors getting exaggerated. What hundred people?"
"If not a hundred, then at least fifty, right?"
"Yeah, around fifty."
"Then the matter really has spread, heh. In all of Fenzhou City, aside from you, there's simply no second person with that kind of intimidation. So when people heard about it, even if nobody said it was you or mentioned your name, everyone would definitely know you were back."
"You're making fun of me."
"I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare."
"How's your sister doing?"
"Mm, she bought a few more Wild Ginseng roots. It hasn't relapsed, so thank you."
"Just have her keep taking it. Let her take it for a few more years, and call me if it stops working."
Three calls...
Five calls...
Ten calls...
By the end, Dong Xuebin's phone was nearly out of battery before he finally finished answering them all. He was exhausted, and his head felt a little dizzy.
"Finished?" Xie Huilan kept her eyes on the road as she drove.
"Mm, finished." Dong Xuebin held a bottle of mineral water in one hand and took another drink.
Xie Huilan's crescent-shaped fox eyes curved in a light smile. "You brat, you're even busier than I am."
Dong Xuebin chuckled. "I haven't been back in a long time, have I? And I got hurt, so everyone's concerned. But... sigh, looks like I'll have quite a few social engagements in the next few days."
"Some of them, you don't need to attend."
"You know I can't bring myself to refuse people."
"You're covered in injuries and still worrying about saving face? I think you didn't fall hard enough."
"Look at you. Why are you still angry? Didn't I apologize to you over that falling incident?"
Xie Huilan smiled and glanced at him. "You really do have a sweet mouth. Fine, since you behaved well today, give your Sister Xie a kiss and I'll forgive you, heh."
"You always pull this. We're out on the street."
"So, are you going to kiss me or not? Hmm?"
"I will. Isn't that enough?"
Dong Xuebin had no choice but to lean over and kiss Hui Lan on the lips.
Xie Huilan held the steering wheel with graceful poise and smiled. The more he looked at her, the more beautiful she seemed.
Dong Xuebin felt quite accomplished. He reached out and squeezed Hui Lan's hand. Sigh, nobody was better than his own wife.
Family Compound.
Inside the Old Yang Family building.
The moment he knocked twice, the door was opened from inside.
Standing in the doorway was Lü'an City's current mayor, Yang Zhaode. Upon seeing Dong Xuebin and Xie Huilan, he smiled kindly. "Xiao Bin, Hui Lan, you're here? Come in."
"Uncle Yang," Dong Xuebin greeted him.
Yang Zhaode looked him over. "Oh? Those injuries are pretty serious."
Dong Xuebin smiled. "It's fine. You know how tough I am."
Yang Zhaode laughed and pointed at him. "You really like living dangerously. Come in. Your mom's been waiting for you two for ages."
The instant Dong Xuebin entered, he saw Luan Xiaoping. Mom sat motionless at the dining table, her face dark and silent, as though she hadn't seen Dong Xuebin at all.
Yang Zhaode smiled and gestured with his chin. "She's been angry for days. She's been worried sick about you."
Dong Xuebin quickly went over with a flattering smile. "Mom, I'm here."
Luan Xiaoping ignored him, turning her head away without even looking at him.
Dong Xuebin said with a bitter smile, "Oh, Mom, why are you still angry? I really didn't do it on purpose. The city wouldn't give us the money, so I could only resort to that. Besides, you know how hard I am to kill. I survived a plane crash from thousands of meters up. Could a ten-meter fall kill me? Impossible!"
Luan Xiaoping finally spoke. "You really don't take your own life seriously!"
"Mom, I was wrong, I was wrong. There won't be a next time. Absolutely not."
"You say that every time, but every time you go right back to doing whatever you want. I can't even be bothered with you!"
"Hui Lan's right here. Please save me a little face, or Hui Lan will laugh at me when we get home. Come on, Mom, don't be angry."
After he coaxed her for a while, Luan Xiaoping finally calmed down. "Where are you hurt?"
Dong Xuebin pretended to be in pain. "Everywhere. My whole body hurts. Hiss."
Luan Xiaoping's heart softened. Seeing her son like that, she glared at him. "You've learned your lesson this time, right? Let's see if you dare mess around again. Let Mom take a look."
"Don't touch me. It hurts!"
"Then let Mom rub it for you."
"No, no. I've got fractures. I can't move."
"It's that serious? Take off your clothes and let Mom have a look!"
Xie Huilan smiled at the side. "Mom, don't listen to him putting on an act. He's fine. If I hadn't desperately stopped him just now, he would've tried to take over the driving."
Dong Xuebin glared at her. She always had to expose him.
Luan Xiaoping smiled too and smacked Dong Xuebin on the head. "You little brat."
Dong Xuebin said, "Let's eat, Mom. I'm starving, and it's been so long since I've had your cooking. On the way here, just thinking about your food had my stomach growling."
"Growling? What are you, a frog?"
"Heh, it's just a figure of speech."
"You and Hui Lan go wash your hands first. Yun Xuan is bringing the child over later too. We'll eat once everyone's here."
"Aunt Xuan and Qian Qian are coming too?"
Dong Xuebin was rather excited. He missed Aunt Xuan and the child as well. But with Hui Lan beside him, he didn't dare show it on his face. Even though Hui Lan and Aunt Xuan had gradually worked out their relationship and she had accepted Qian Qian as her goddaughter, he still needed to be careful. Dong Xuebin didn't want one wrong sentence to bring disaster upon himself. The peaceful atmosphere they had now was hard-won.
A while later.
The four of them sat on the sofa and chatted casually.
Dong Xuebin did not join the conversation. Instead, wearing a fatherly expression, he crouched in front of Hui Lan and pressed his ear to her belly, looking extremely excited.
"Ow! It kicked me! It kicked me!"
"Heh, the baby's been kicking for a long time already."
"That kick was pretty strong. I bet it's a boy!"
Xie Huilan smiled and stroked Dong Xuebin's hair. She seemed to be in a good mood too.
The family in the living room was enjoying a warm and harmonious moment. After all, it was rare for them to get together.
A moment later, Yang Zhaode suddenly said, "Hui Lan, I heard something happened in your city? At Fourth Middle School? It sounds like the school was surrounded? Education falls under your jurisdiction, doesn't it?"
Xie Huilan gave a soft mm. "I went to handle it at noon."
Luan Xiaoping exclaimed, "You weren't hurt, were you? Don't get injured. There's one in your belly now too, understand? Stay far away if something like this happens again."
"I know, Mom, but it's all been handled," Xie Huilan said.
Yang Zhaode looked at her. "This sort of thing isn't easy to handle."
Xie Huilan patted Dong Xuebin, whose head was still pressed to her belly. "It wasn't easy, but Xiao Bin happened to get off the plane and come find me. When he saw that I was surrounded, he helped me out."
Luan Xiaoping was startled. "Xiao Bin got into another fight?"
Dong Xuebin rolled his eyes. "Am I really that impulsive?"
"You really are." Xie Huilan smiled. "But he didn't need to fight this time. Who in Fenzhou City doesn't know Dong Xuebin? The moment he stood there, everyone was scared away."
Luan Xiaoping said in astonishment, "They all left?"
Yang Zhaode asked, "They didn't attack?"
Xie Huilan said, "Who would dare attack him? Heh, a man who survived falling thousands of meters in a plane crash, who could stay underwater in icy water for over ten minutes, who was buried in an earthquake for a week and came out unharmed, who would readily fight ordinary people, who could take on dozens of people alone—who would provoke him?"
Luan Xiaoping thought that was true.
Yang Zhaode smiled faintly as well.
Dong Xuebin did not like hearing that. "Why do you always make me sound so bad, Hui Lan? You only talk about that stuff. Why don't you mention my achievements? Who saved the people during the earthquake? Who pulled those children out after they fell into the water? Didn't the people come to see me off when I was transferred? That was their recognition of me!"
Xie Huilan smiled. "No matter how much they recognize you, you're already infamous. Otherwise, why did those people fall completely silent the moment they saw you? Even I, a vice mayor, don't have that ability."
The situation at the time truly had been quite shocking.
Without saying a word or making a sound, Dong Xuebin merely stood there, and the crowd did not make another peep!
What kind of concept was that?
It showed just how notorious the Plague God's name was!
Before you continue