In the lounge.
Chen Jinzhao was like a needle on a seat, pacing back and forth in the room.
He had clearly returned to his homeland, yet a sense of unease churned within him, making it impossible for him to sit still.
Yamanashi Chiho asked timidly, "Who was that just now?"
Chen Jinzhao replied, "He is a high-ranking official in the Yuezhou Military, the head of the Jiang family in Yuezhou, and a core figure in Yuezhou province."
"Oh..." Yamanashi Chiho nodded, asking no further questions.
Chen Jinzhao hesitated, "Do you have something you want to say? You don't need to be secretive in front of me."
Yamanashi Chiho glanced at the guards outside the door, and after a long hesitation, she said, " I always feel that person's gaze towards us is strange. I hope it's just my imagination."
Chen Jinzhao's eyes flickered, "Perhaps you are overthinking it."
"Alright, I hope I am overthinking it," Yamanashi Chiho replied, then sat on the chair and stared blankly.
The thought of meeting the woman Chen Jinzhao had mentioned made Yamanashi Chiho inexplicably restless.
But she also knew it was inevitable.
She just hoped she wouldn't be disliked…
After comforting Yamanashi Chiho, Chen Jinzhao also pondered some matters. Yamanashi Chiho's words reminded him that he had to guard against such things.
It was true that many people in the country wanted him to return.
But at the same time, there were also many who did not want to see Chen Jinzhao's return.
Could Jiang Yangping be one of them?
Chen Jinzhao thought of something and walked to the door to ask a guard to borrow his phone. The guard said with difficulty, "Mr. Chen, we are not allowed to carry mobile phones on duty. You should be aware of this."
"Then do you have a place to make a phone call?" Chen Jinzhao asked again.
The guard replied, "We do, but today the airport is carrying out a top-secret operation, so Mr. Chen is temporarily not allowed to go anywhere else."
"Okay, thank you."
Chen Jinzhao returned to the lounge.
He had clearly returned to his homeland, yet his mood did not improve; instead, he felt more restless.
He closed his eyes and pondered what to do.
Seeing Chen Jinzhao's state, Yamanashi Chiho and Yamanashi Tōryū did not disturb him, letting him think in peace.
More than ten minutes passed.
Suddenly, a commotion erupted at the lounge door, causing Chen Jinzhao's eyes to snap open.
He immediately went to the door to check and saw a man in a black jacket standing at the door, arguing with two guards.
"Mr. Song, it's really inconvenient," a guard blocked the man from entering the lounge.
The man called Mr. Song frowned and said, "It's just a meeting, what's the big deal? Are you going to detain Mr. Chen?"
At these words, the two guards dared not reply.
Mr. Song continued, "Mr. Chen is a hero of our country. Even if you don't let me see him, you must give me a reasonable explanation."
"This..."
The two guards became even more troubled.
Chen Jinzhao walked to the door, appearing in their sight, and said faintly, "Let Mr. Song in."
"Mr. Chen, this is absolutely not possible. We are only acting on orders," a guard said with a distressed look, hoping Chen Jinzhao wouldn't make things difficult for them. Chen Jinzhao said coldly, "If anything unexpected happens, I, Chen Jinzhao, will bear all responsibility."
"Mr. Chen, this..."
The two guards still did not relent.
Chen Jinzhao's tone turned cold, "I said, let him in."
There was an unquestionable firmness in this sentence.
The two guards finally compromised and let Mr. Song into the lounge. However, one of the guards immediately left the lounge door, as if to report the situation.
Chen Jinzhao saw all this.
After Mr. Song entered the lounge, Chen Jinzhao directly locked the door.
"Mr. Chen, it's a pleasure to meet you. You are much younger than I imagined. I didn't know what I was doing at your age," Mr. Song said with a smile. Chen Jinzhao looked at Mr. Song and asked, "Mr. Song, you flatter me. May I ask who you are..."
"Oh, I forgot to introduce myself. I am Song Siming from the Linzhou Municipal Bureau," Song Siming said.
Song Siming looked relatively young, probably in his early forties.
Chen Jinzhao thought carefully for a moment and then realized, "So it's Director Song. I remember you. Years ago, you repeatedly solved major cases in other cities and even brought down several high-ranking officials in Linzhou. However, I remember you were demoted to a county a while ago. Now that you are directly in charge of the municipal bureau, your future is bright."
Linzhou City was the provincial capital, and its status was incomparable.
Song Siming said with a smile, "It's a long story. Mr. Chen doesn't need to praise me. I heard early on that Mr. Chen would be returning to China, so I came to find you."
"Is there something important?" Chen Jinzhao frowned.
Song Siming glanced at the locked door, nodded, and lowered his voice, "Mr. Chen, someone wants to harm you."
Chen Jinzhao's expression changed slightly.
Song Siming continued, "I'm not sure who is targeting Mr. Chen, nor if this news is accurate, but I knew I had to tell you."
"Mr. Chen, what should we do next?"
Chen Jinzhao leaned towards believing Song Siming's words. After pondering for a moment, he asked, "Do you have a mobile phone?"
Song Siming shook his head.
Before entering the airport, his phone had already been confiscated.
Chen Jinzhao walked back and forth in the room with his hands behind his back. He stopped and said, "I'll give you a phone number. After Mr. Song leaves, call this number and tell her my situation."
"Please."
"If I end up dying, please ask Mr. Song to convey a message to her for me, saying that I have wronged her in this life."
Song Siming hesitated, "That's all?"
Chen Jinzhao said with a wry smile, "I've been gone for five years. The support I relied on before no longer exists. If I truly die here, it can only be said that I have bad luck."
"Alright, I'll go do it now," Song Siming nodded heavily.
As Song Siming left the lounge, he argued with the guards again. Chen Jinzhao's heart sank to the bottom.
He didn't even know if Song Siming would be stopped.
However, Chen Jinzhao had underestimated Song Siming's capabilities. Before entering the airport, Song Siming had already notified the media through the municipal government that a media conference would be held outside the airport. If Song Siming did not appear in a timely manner, it would indicate that he was in trouble.
Through such means, effective countermeasures could be implemented.
At that moment.
Jiang Yangping also learned of Song Siming's methods. After hesitating for a moment, he said to his subordinate, "Forget it, let Song Siming leave. He's just a small ant, he can't cause any trouble. Besides, Chen Jinzhao's backing has collapsed. Unless that old man Xu Hanchen can regain his senses, who can save him?"
"A generation of heroes is about to end."