Chapter 90

Thank you to 'Guzhu Yujian' and 'Shaoshuo Feihua' for your generous support of 200 Qidian coins! Your support means a lot. I hope everyone can give more support to Suishui by adding this book to your collection and recommending it. Thank you very much!

On July 22, the height of the dog days of summer, the sun blazed like a furnace.

Despite the scorching heat, there was a refreshing and comfortable feeling in the early summer morning.

The courtyard of the postal bureau was shaded by lush trees, and the golden morning light filtered through the gaps in the leaves, casting a warm glow over the area.

A gentle breeze blew, carrying the chirping of cicadas far away, like a morning bell urging people to rise early. It echoed through the sky, cleansing people's minds of the heat's烦恼, refreshing their spirits and making them feel at ease.

Yang Jie deeply inhaled the fresh morning air, closed his eyes, and savored the scent of his hometown. He exhaled, opened his bright eyes, and took the key to the Bluebird car, unlocking the door. After getting in, he casually placed his luggage bag on the back seat.

Early risers in the city, greeted by the rising sun, began their morning exercises. Yang Jie drove slowly out of the postal bureau courtyard, heading toward Fuyuan Street.

At the entrance of the county committee compound, people were coming and going. Yang Jie drove to the entrance and looked around but didn't see Liu Fei. Just as his brows furrowed, he noticed a graceful figure standing under a large tree near the entrance, looking around expectantly.

The Bluebird car slowly pulled up to the roadside near the tree. Yang Jie saw Liu Fei wearing a blue dress that accentuated her tall and slender figure. Her stunning beauty, enhanced by the morning light, exuded an irresistible charm. She was a natural beauty, needing no makeup to enhance her allure. Her plain face was already captivating and unforgettable.

Liu Fei, standing gracefully under the tree, wore a sun hat and had a large suitcase by her side, dressed for a long journey. When she saw a car stop by the roadside, she frowned slightly and tried to move away with her suitcase. However, the sound of two honks made her stop and turn to see that the driver was Yang Jie.

"You're well-prepared! Why are you alone?" Yang Jie lowered the passenger window and asked Liu Fei in surprise.

Seeing Yang Jie get out of the car to help her with her luggage, Liu Fei explained once they were both in the car, "My parents retired and went back to their hometown. Now, I'm the only one left in Wuhe County."

Liu Fei's hometown was in southern Fujian, nearly a thousand kilometers away from Wuhe County. Yang Jie couldn't understand why her parents would return to their hometown after retirement, leaving Liu Fei to work alone in Wuhe County.

Yang Jie wasn't the type to pry, and since they were just colleagues, it wasn't appropriate to ask too many personal questions.

"We'll go to the Public Security Bureau first. I asked Captain Chen to buy two lower berth tickets for us." Yang Jie said calmly, steering the car toward the Public Security Bureau.

Wuhe County had a train station on its outskirts, though it was only a second-class station, it was connected to the main railway line, the Jingguang Line. Many trains passed through daily, making travel very convenient.

On the day Yang Jie returned to Wuhe County, he had asked Chen Yinglong to help buy two sleeper tickets. During dinner the previous night, Chen Yinglong had forgotten to bring the tickets, so they had agreed to meet at the Public Security Bureau in the morning to pick them up. Chen Yinglong would also see them off at the train station, which was why the Bluebird car hadn't been returned to Gu Jian the previous night.

It was not yet six-thirty, and the train wouldn't arrive until seven, so they had plenty of time.

The Bluebird car sped into the courtyard of the Public Security Bureau, which was quiet and empty. Yang Jie didn't get out of the car but honked a few times, startling two on-duty police officers who then returned to their office upon recognizing Gu Jian's car.

"Brother Yang, up so early?" Chen Yinglong heard the honk, stretched, and then came down from the office with a bag, smiling at Yang Jie.

"The train arrives at seven, and it's already six-thirty. If we don't get up now, we'll miss it!" Yang Jie got out of the car, smiling as he took the two train tickets from Chen Yinglong. The departure time was 7:10, giving them nearly forty minutes to spare.

"The train station is right at our doorstep. I'll have two railway police officers take you to the platform. You can go at 6:50, and it will be fine. Here are some fruits for the journey." Chen Yinglong bent down and greeted Liu Fei, who was in the passenger seat, then placed the bag of fruits on the back seat.

Seeing Chen Yinglong's politeness, Yang Jie didn't mind and took out a hundred yuan from his wallet, handing it to Chen Yinglong. "Brother Chen, this is the money for the train tickets. The office will reimburse me, so you should take it!" He insisted, pushing the money into Chen Yinglong's shirt pocket.

Two sleeper tickets from Wuhe to Rongcheng cost only 90 yuan, and neither Yang Jie nor Chen Yinglong cared about the extra ten yuan. Chen Yinglong smiled and said, "Alright, I'll take it. Since you're in a hurry, I'll take you to the train first."

After they got back in the car, Yang Jie drove out of the Public Security Bureau toward the train station.

"Brother Chen, I don't know when I'll be back. Xiao Yue is still on leave. Please take care of her and let me know if anything happens." Yang Jie, driving, earnestly instructed Chen Yinglong, who was in the back seat.

"No problem. The case against Liao Kai is almost settled, and Secretary Liao has stepped down. Xiao Yue will soon be back at the Wuhe Hotel. I'll keep an eye on her and let you know if anything happens!" Chen Yinglong's relationship with Yang Jie had strengthened recently, and he was pleased that Yang Jie thought of him. He readily agreed.

Chen Yinglong knew about Yang Jie's relationship with Secretary Zhou, who was about to leave Wuhe County to become the vice mayor of Changyang City, not stepping down. Given Yang Jie's young age and high position, his future was promising, so Chen Yinglong was happy to do him a favor.

Liu Fei had heard rumors about Yang Jie and Xiao Yue, knowing that Xiao Yue's situation was related to Secretary Liao's only son, Liao Kai, and that Secretary Liao had stepped down because of it. Seeing Yang Jie still thinking of Xiao Yue even as he was leaving, she couldn't help but wonder about their relationship.

With few cars on the road in the morning, Yang Jie drove quickly, and the Bluebird car soon arrived at the train station.

Outside the train station, there were restaurants and hotels everywhere, and taxis and motorcycles were neatly parked by the exit, waiting for passengers.

In the early morning, only one ticket window was open in the station, and a long queue of people stretched from the hall to the roadside. At the entrance, two station staff were checking tickets and allowing passengers with tickets to enter the waiting hall.

After parking the car by the roadside, Chen Yinglong helped Yang Jie with his luggage and the bag of fruits. He got out of the car and said, "I spoke with Chief Li of the railway police yesterday. He's on duty today. I'll go to the exit to find him. You can follow me, and we'll go directly to the platform from the exit."

Watching Chen Yinglong walk away, Yang Jie took Liu Fei's suitcase from the trunk. After she got out of the car, he locked it and called her to follow him to the exit.

When they reached the exit, Chen Yinglong was already chatting with two railway police officers in uniform. The Public Security Bureau handled the county's public security, and the train station, with its constant flow of people from all walks of life, often saw security incidents, so the Public Security Bureau and the railway police frequently worked together.

"Chief Li, let me introduce you. These are colleagues from the county committee office. This is Yang Jie, Brother Yang, the director of the Foreign Affairs and Overseas Chinese Affairs Office, currently on loan to the provincial office as an external liaison officer. This is Liu Fei, Brother Yang's colleague." Chen Yinglong introduced Yang Jie and Liu Fei to Chief Li as they approached.

"Brother Yang, this is Chief Li Yuan of the Wuhe Railway Police Station. He shares the same name as the founder of the Tang Dynasty. If you need to travel by train in the future, just find him!" Chen Yinglong's joke didn't offend Li Yuan, who shook hands with Yang Jie warmly and said, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Comrade Yang and Comrade Liu. If you or your relatives and friends need train tickets in the future, just give the police station a call, and I'll personally help you."

Yang Jie, appreciating Li Yuan's politeness, thanked him but didn't take his words too seriously, knowing that such offers were often just formalities.

After chatting for a while at the exit, they saw that it was nearly 6:55. Li Yuan and Chen Yinglong then personally escorted Yang Jie and Liu Fei into the station and onto the train as soon as it arrived.