347: Chapter 346 Picking Up the Girl at the Airport (Part 1)

"Hey, you're spacing out again!" Si Yao's voice pulled Qin Yi back to reality. "I'm talking to you; what are you thinking about?"

Qin Yi quickly gathered his thoughts and smiled as he raised his glass. "Nothing, just imagining the scene of owning a private jet. This one of yours is indeed quite good. Send me the salesperson's contact info later; I'll order one too."

"No way, Young Master Qin? Are you serious?" Ye Ziming's eyes widened, and he nearly stood up from his seat. "This costs over five hundred million! You're just buying it like that?"

"Of course I'm serious." Qin Yi swirled the champagne in his glass, his tone relaxed. "Buy it under the company's name—it can earn rental income and serve as a tax write-off. It's killing two birds with one stone, so why wouldn't I?"

This was actually just a casual excuse from Qin Yi. He couldn't exactly tell others that he was buying the plane purely to accumulate System experience, could he?

As for Qin Yi's answer, Si Yao didn't think much of it. A single plane really wasn't a big deal to her. Thus, Si Yao nodded readily. "Sure. Once we see my dad, I'll have him help you contact Bombardier. Maybe they can even give you a 'friendship price.'"

"Got it! Then I'll thank Miss Si in advance." Qin Yi smiled and raised his glass in a toast.

Ye Ziming immediately leaned in toward Qin Yi, resting his arm on the back of his chair. "Young Master Qin! I'm definitely following your lead from now on! Can I borrow your private jet in the future? I'll cover the costs myself. I promise I'll just take friends out for a spin and won't cause any trouble!"

Qin Yi teased him on purpose. "No problem. Just follow me and work hard. Next year, I'll get you a sister-in-law so you can share in the joy."

"Really? Then I'll be waiting—" Ye Ziming had just started to laugh when he was interrupted by Si Yao's laughter.

"Pfft..." Si Yao nearly spat out her juice. She wiped the corner of her mouth and laughed, "Young Master Ye, what are you waiting for? He said he's getting *himself* a wife, which makes her *your* sister-in-law. It's not like he's getting *you* a wife. Why are you so excited?"

Shen Jianan sat to the side, listening to the three of them joke. A faint smile curled the corners of her mouth, but she quickly suppressed it.

Ye Ziming finally realized what was said. His face instantly flushed red, and he reached out to playfully scratch at Qin Yi. "Alright, Young Master Qin! How dare you play me like that!"

Si Yao caught a glimpse of Shen Jianan out of the corner of her eye. Seeing that she kept her head down and hadn't even joined in the joke between her and Qin Yi, Si Yao quietly stood up and lightly sat in the empty seat next to her.

She leaned in closer, her voice very low, carrying a hint of womanly concern. "Jianan, what's wrong? You haven't said much since earlier, and your complexion doesn't look great. Did something happen, or... is it that time of the month and you're feeling unwell?"

Hearing this, Shen Jianan looked up with a trace of lingering embarrassment on her face, forcing a smile. "No, it's nothing. I just didn't sleep well last night, so I'm a bit low on energy."

This was half-true—she indeed hadn't slept well, but it was mostly due to the distress from being complained about by Qin Yi's friends yesterday. Even thinking about it now made her feel uneasy.

"So that's it." Si Yao didn't overthink it and pointed to the armrest next to her seat. "There are eye masks and earplugs in here. If you're tired, just take a nap. The hour and a half will pass quickly."

"No need, thank you." Shen Jianan quickly waved her hand. "I'll just sit here and try to wake up. Otherwise, I'll feel even worse when we get off the plane."

Seeing her persistence, Si Yao didn't push. She changed the subject, a hint of curiosity flashing in her eyes as she leaned in and whispered, "By the way, if you're not sleepy, I happen to have something I want to ask you—the news last night said your Security Bureau caught a murderer who'd been on the run for ten years. What exactly happened? I only saw a few sentences online; there were no details at all."

Shen Jianan's heart skipped a beat. Her gaze instinctively flickered, and the smile on her face became even more unnatural. "Uh, that... to be honest, I wasn't very involved. You'll have to ask Sister Qingcheng for the specifics."

"Still playing dumb with me!" Si Yao lightly poked her arm with a small pout. "It's your Security Bureau's case; how could you not know? Don't give me the runaround, tell me! Don't worry, my lips are sealed. I definitely won't tell anyone else."

Having been seen through, Shen Jianan could only sigh helplessly, lowering her voice even further. "It's really not that I'm intentionally hiding it. I only participated in the peripheral coordination work. Sister Qingcheng and the others were responsible for the specific details of the case. I don't know the specifics. If you want to know, it would be more reliable to ask Sister Qingcheng later."

Seeing that she didn't seem to be lying, Si Yao could only pout dejectedly.

She turned her head and scanned Ye Ziming, who was not far away and currently exchanging looks with Qin Yi. Her eyes lit up, and she walked over, patting his shoulder. "Ye Ziming, let me ask you something! Do you know about the Security Bureau catching that murderer last night?"

Ye Ziming was just pondering how to get closer to Shen Jianan when he was suddenly patted. He froze for a moment before reacting. "Huh? Catching a murderer? That happened? How come I didn't know?"

"Isn't your sister in the Security Bureau? She didn't give you any inside info?" Si Yao raised an eyebrow, thinking she could dig up some gossip from him.

Upon hearing this, Ye Ziming immediately waved his hands with a bitter face, his tone full of helplessness. "Miss Si, don't give me too much credit! My sister's sense of discipline is stricter than a military instructor's. Forget about the details of a case—if I even ask one extra question about what she did today, I'll get kicked. You're really asking the wrong person!"

"Fine, fine, fine. Just act like I didn't ask." Si Yao rolled her eyes, turned back to her seat, pulled out her phone, opened a game, and started scrolling through the screen listlessly.

Qin Yi looked up at Shen Jianan and happened to meet her gaze. Shen Jianan looked away quickly as if she had been burned, her earlobes quietly turning red.

Qin Yi knew Shen Jianan must still be embarrassed about Fatty Wang complaining about her yesterday. Thus, Qin Yi cleared his throat and intentionally raised his voice slightly, which would remind Shen Jianan without making it feel forced.

"Jianan, you and Young Master Ye came here with a 'mission' this time. If you don't speak or interact the whole way, once we get to the Southwest, people will see through your fake couple status at a glance. That'll be troublesome."

Hearing this, Ye Ziming's eyes instantly lit up. Thinking Qin Yi was helping him create an opportunity, he quickly leaned in to agree. "Right, right, right! What Young Master Qin says is true! Jianan, we need to talk about the next steps of our plan. How about... we rehearse the hand-holding motion for when we get off the plane? Just so we don't forget it if we get nervous later."

Shen Jianan glared at Qin Yi, then turned to look at Ye Ziming, her expression darkening. "Rehearse what? What is there to rehearse for something like this!"

"Oh, it's safer to rehearse!" Ye Ziming said, reaching out to try and take her hand while saying cheerfully, "See, just like this..."

Before his hand could touch Shen Jianan, her gaze turned cold. Her hand was as fast as lightning as she grabbed his wrist, twisting as she pivoted her body. With a soft 'click,' Ye Ziming was pinned against the seat, grimacing in pain.

"Behave yourself!" Shen Jianan's voice carried a hint of chilliness, her fingertips applying slight pressure. "You've only learned a few flashy moves and you dare to get handsy? Do you really think I, Shen Jianan, am just some little girl?"

"Ouch! Sister Nan! Let go! Quickly let go! My hand is going to break!" Cold sweat broke out on Ye Ziming's forehead from the pain. He struggled while begging for mercy, "I was wrong, I was wrong! I won't mess around anymore!"

"Hmph!" Shen Jianan released her grip, not forgetting to give him a glare.

Beside them, Si Yao was already doubled over with laughter, pointing at Ye Ziming. "Young Master Ye, you really brought this on yourself!"

Shen Jianan turned back to Qin Yi, her gaze holding a hint of 'interrogation.' She shook her fist. "And you! If you come up with such a rotten idea again, don't blame me for being impolite!"

Ye Ziming rubbed his reddened wrist, moving to Qin Yi's side with a wronged expression, complaining bitterly, "Young Master Qin, it's all because of your terrible idea. My hand almost got twisted off! You weren't helping me; you were clearly piting me!"

Qin Yi suppressed his laughter and leaned into Ye Ziming's ear, his voice very low. "Don't complain yet. Think about it carefully—regardless of the process, did you just hold her hand? And weren't you that close to her?"

Ye Ziming's movement of rubbing his arm suddenly stopped. His eyes instantly lit up, and the look of being wronged vanished, replaced by a silly grin. "Hehe, it seems... that's true! As expected of you, Young Master Qin. Not only did I touch her hand, but since we were so close, I even smelled the fragrance on her!"

Qin Yi looked at his silly appearance and shook his head with a laugh.

...

Meanwhile, downstairs at the Southwest International Group building, the body of a black Maybach 62S glinted with a cold, hard luster under the sunlight as it slowly stopped by the main entrance steps.

The driver got out first, went around to the back to open the door, and respectfully said to the person inside, "Mr. Zhao, the Chairman is still on the top floor handling official business. Would you like to wait in the lounge area downstairs, or should I accompany you up?"

Hearing this, Zhao Lintai glanced at his watch and said, "The time is almost up, so I won't go up. I'll just wait downstairs."

"Alright." The driver bowed in response. "There is a VIP lounge area on the left side of the first-floor lobby. According to the Chairman's arrangements, you will be taking that Ghost to the airport with the Old Master later."

After thanking the driver, Zhao Lintai got out of the car. His black leather shoes clicked crisply against the marble steps. He straightened his tie and was about to head toward the lobby when the phone in his pocket suddenly rang urgently.

He pulled out his phone and saw the words 'Unknown Number' on the screen. His pupils constricted slightly as he stopped in his tracks. Inconspicuously, he turned and circled behind the maybach to avoid the lobby's surveillance cameras before pressing the answer button. His voice was kept extremely low, laced with a hint of wariness: "Hello, who is this?"

"Hello, is this Young Master Zhao Lintai?" A soft, feminine voice came from the other end of the line, her tone carrying a faint, lingering smile.

"Speaking." Zhao Lintai's fingers tightened around his phone. "Who are you? How did you get my number?"

"Hehe, don't be nervous, Young Master Zhao." The woman let out a soft chuckle, and the sound of waves crashing could be heard faintly in the background. "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Bai Ruoxue. Boss Lei knows that Young Master Zhao has been short-handed lately, so he specifically sent me to Southwest to protect your safety."

"Boss Lei?" Zhao Lintai's heart skipped a beat—someone from Hongmen? He immediately feigned a confused tone, though a cold glint flashed in his eyes. "I don't know any Boss Lei. You have the wrong number."

He instinctively felt this was a trap—the Security Bureau had just caught a fugitive murderer, and Hongmen was sending someone to 'protect' him now? Wasn't that just walking into a net? Or was the Security Bureau intentionally setting a trap for him?

"Young Master Zhao is quite cautious." Bai Ruoxue's voice remained gentle, but it grew more certain. "Rest assured, I am not from the Security Bureau. I have a token given to me by Boss Lei. Once I arrive in Southwest, you will know the truth at a glance."

Zhao Lintai fell silent for a few seconds. Fine, regardless of who the other party was—be it Hongmen or the Security Bureau—since they were coming, he would deal with it as it came.

He spoke slowly, "Fine. We'll talk when we meet."

"Good. See you in Southwest then."

With that, the call was disconnected. The relaxed mood Zhao Lintai had barely managed to achieve last night was once again wound tight by this phone call.

Was this Bai Ruoxue truly from Hongmen?

But what was Hongmen's intention in sending someone over at a time like this?

To protect my safety? Hehe, do they really take me, Zhao Lintai, for a fool?

Even if she were from Hongmen, she certainly wouldn't be here just to protect him.

Perhaps Boss Lei was worried about him being targeted by the Security Bureau and sent someone to keep an eye on him.

After all, he had been involved in quite a few matters related to Hongmen.

Most likely, if there was any movement from the Security Bureau, this Bai Ruoxue would strike him before they could!

Zhao Lintai was no stranger to such schemes. If he couldn't see through a trick like this, he would have wasted all these years in the underworld.

As he was pondering, a rumbling sound came from overhead.

Zhao Lintai looked up to see a black helicopter flying low over the roof of the building. It seemed Elder Si had arrived.

Now was not the time to think about Hongmen.

Zhao Lintai took a deep breath and suppressed his doubts. As long as he could secure the engagement with Si Yao, with the great mountain that was the Si Family as his backing, the Security Bureau wouldn't dare touch him easily even if they had evidence of his crimes.

What was that about everyone being equal before the law? It was just nonsense to fool the commoners! In the face of absolute power, the law had to step aside obediently!

Having clarified his thoughts, a gentle smile returned to Zhao Lintai's face. He straightened his suit and walked quickly toward the lobby's lounge area. He sat on the sofa, his eyes fixed intently on the elevator doors.

About ten minutes later, with a 'ding', the elevator doors slowly slid open.

Si Hongjun walked in front, pushing a wheelchair. Seated in the wheelchair was Si Zhengxiong, whose hair was white but whose spirit was exceptionally vigorous. Si Hongxiao and Si Hongbin followed on either side, their statures upright and their gazes sharp, like two door gods guarding the safety of the Si father and son.

Seeing this, Zhao Lintai immediately stood up, a respectful smile plastered on his face, and hurried to meet them. "Elder Si, you've arrived! Hello, Uncle Si!"

"Ah, Lintai is here." Si Zhengxiong smiled, his tone kindly. "I've kept you waiting. These old bones of mine move slowly and have delayed us."

"What are you saying!" Zhao Lintai waved his hands dismissively, his tone sincere. "I only arrived a short while ago myself. It's no delay at all."

"It's getting late, let's head to the airport first." Si Zhengxiong patted the armrest of the wheelchair and said to Si Hongjun.

"Alright." Just as Si Hongjun was about to push the wheelchair, Zhao Lintai took a step forward and grabbed the handles. He said with a smile, "Uncle Si, you've been busy all morning and must be tired. Let me push the Elder."

Si Hongjun glanced at him but didn't say much, stepping aside to yield the position.

Afterward, Si Zhengxiong, Si Hongjun, and Zhao Lintai got into the Rolls-Royce Ghost in the middle.

The two bodyguards, Si Hongxiao and Si Hongbin, sat separately in the Maybach 62S in the front and rear.

The convoy of three cars slowly drove out of the Southwest International Group building, heading toward the Southwest International Airport.

...

Meanwhile, at Modu International Airport.

Sunlight streamed through the glass dome onto the arrivals exit. Amidst the bustling crowd, two deep-gray 19-seater Coasters were particularly eye-catching.

The vehicle bodies bore no extra markings; only a few staff members in black jackets stood by the windows, their sharp eyes scanning the passing crowd.

Director Wang of the General Office of the Security Bureau Modu Branch was standing by a Coaster, looking down at his watch.

This time, he was personally leading the team to welcome the scions of prominent families who had been requisitioned into the Special Operations Department.

These people came from all over the country, and their flight times were uneven. The earliest one was due to land in five minutes, while the latest wouldn't arrive until near noon. Just coordinating with the airport and flight crews had taken a lot of effort.

Fortunately, given the special nature of the Security Bureau, after greeting the airport in advance, the flight crews had already notified those family scions one by one to ensure they could find their contact person as soon as they landed.

"Director Wang, the first batch of flights has begun landing," a staff member nearby reminded him in a low voice.

Director Wang nodded, straightened his collar, and walked quickly toward the VIP passage entrance.

Not long after, footsteps were heard in the passage. Six young people, dressed casually but with an undeniable air of nobility, walked out. The man leading them was tall and handsome, with a heroic spirit in his brow characteristic of a martial artist. His every move was steady and efficient. The five people following him were chatting and laughing, showing no signs of nervousness; instead, they appeared somewhat expectant.

"Everyone, this way, please." The airport staff who had been waiting at the passage entrance immediately went to meet them, smiling as they led the six to Director Wang. "This is Director Wang from the Security Bureau, who has come specifically to pick you up."

After saying that, he turned to Director Wang and said politely, "Director Wang, I've delivered them to you. There are guests from other flights later, so I'll be going now."

"Thank you for your hard work." Director Wang smiled and shook his hand. After watching him leave, he immediately turned to the young man in the lead and proactively extended his hand. "Welcome to the Special Operations Department. I am Wang Lei of the General Office of the Security Bureau Modu Branch."

The young man shook his hand with a firm grip and a clear voice: "Hello, Director Wang. My name is Chen Mohan, from the Taiji Chen Family in the capital." He stepped aside half a pace and pointed to the people behind him to introduce them. "These are also scions of our Chen family, all requisitioned together this time. Introduce yourselves."

Subsequently, Director Wang shook hands with each of them one by one, a gentle smile always on his face. When he reached the last person, he explained with a slight apology, "Originally, Captain Ye Qingcheng of the Special Operations Department should have been here to meet you; she is also your future direct superior. However, she has urgent official business and couldn't get away, so I have to stand in for her. I hope you'll understand."

Chen Mohan always kept a faint smile on his lips, his tone composed. "Director Wang is too polite. We aren't children; there's no need for a special pickup. Being able to get into the mission as soon as possible is better than anything else."

A round-faced young man behind him also laughed and added, "Exactly! I've long heard that Captain Ye is a formidable character. When we meet, I must have a good exchange with her!"

Hearing the defiance in the round-faced young man's words, Director Wang just smiled, though he couldn't help but complain in his heart: 'You really don't know the height of the heavens or the depth of the earth. Wanting to challenge Ye Qingcheng? I think you're like an old man eating arsenic—tired of living!'

But he couldn't say what he was thinking directly. He raised his hand and pointed to the Coasters behind him, continuing, "There will be plenty of opportunities in the future. You are the first batch to arrive. There are four more batches landing one after another. I'll have to trouble you to wait in the car for a while. Once everyone is here, we'll head back to the branch together."

"No problem." Chen Mohan nodded in agreement and turned to the people behind him. "Then let's go wait in the car first."

"Alright!" Several voices rang out in response as they followed Director Wang and walked quickly toward the vehicles.