At Teacher Yang's birthday party, Qin Chuan learned that he had two love rivals, Han Taiqing and another named Su Hengyu.
He had met both of them, which left a deep impression.
After all, someone was trying to steal his wife.
Any man would remember some information and characteristics about his rivals in such a situation.
However, upon learning that it was indeed the Han family from Longcheng who had rescued the Han Shifei brothers, Qin Chuan's expression turned considerably grim.
The brief intelligence obtained from Huang Qi indicated that the Han family was no insignificant entity; they were on par with the Yang family, both engaged in the coal business on a large scale and possessing considerable wealth.
The reputation of Jin Province's coal magnates was not one of mere pretenders; they were truly powerful. In this era, dealing in "black gold" like coal meant that very few people involved were truly benevolent.
The immense profits from coal, this black gold, made it a resource contested by all sorts of players, big and small.
Without certain capabilities and a sufficiently ruthless mindset, it was impossible to establish a foothold in the coal business.
As someone who had lived through it before, Qin Chuan understood the darkness of the coal trade even better. Although he hadn't personally experienced it in his previous life, he had friends and had heard many stories.
Virtually every wealthy coal magnate kept a gang of enforcers specifically to deal with unforeseen events.
In the pitch-black depths of the mountains or hundreds of meters underground, the deaths of a few people were as insignificant as ants, causing no ripple whatsoever.
As the coal magnates would say, as long as you have money, why should you fear death?!
A life could be settled for ten or twenty thousand, a price they could easily afford.
This, in a way, illustrated the darkness of the coal business.
Since the Han family was as renowned as the Yang family, their strength was clearly not to be underestimated.
"Han Shifei, Han Shihong, Han Taiqing... they all have the surname Han. Could they be related?"
Suddenly, Qin Chuan looked up and asked.
Zhou Congrong and Xiao Guodong both shook their heads. "We've already thought of that, but our authority in this small county is limited. We can only investigate the relationships of individuals within the county; we can't investigate elsewhere!"
"However..."
At this point, Zhou Congrong paused, his expression grave. "Based on our speculation, the Han Shifei brothers and this Longcheng Han family are likely related, and their connection is not superficial!"
"Otherwise, no matter how influential the Longcheng Han family might be, they wouldn't have so easily mobilized people from the city to come to our small county to retrieve them."
"And to take away all the criminal records related to the Han Shifei brothers!"
One must understand that mobilizing such extensive connections was no small matter.
Upon hearing that even the Han Shifei brothers' records had been taken, Qin Chuan's eyes widened. "You didn't even keep copies, did you?"
At the mention of this, Zhou Congrong and Xiao Guodong exchanged a look, a glint of sharpness in their eyes.
"That day, although the personnel from the city appeared very suddenly and caught us completely off guard," Xiao Guodong recalled.
"However, this is still our territory, and our men are all our own. Once we learned of the situation, we foresaw trouble and immediately sent people to race against time to make copies of all those files."
"Although the originals were eventually taken, we have as many copies as we need."
Hearing Xiao Guodong's words, Qin Chuan let out a long sigh of relief and gave him a thumbs-up. "Well done!"
As long as they had photocopies of all the criminal records of the Han Shifei brothers, they had leverage. If something were to happen one day and someone came looking for trouble, they would have some basis for negotiation.
"If we couldn't even do this, what kind of police officers would we be? We might as well go home and shovel manure!" Zhou Congrong said.
His words brought a slight ease to the tense atmosphere, and both Qin Chuan and Xiao Guodong couldn't help but chuckle.
"Before the Longcheng Han family retaliates against us, we must gather sufficient information and understand our opponent," Xiao Guodong added after laughing.
"Only then will we have enough confidence to resist when danger strikes."
This statement was immediately met with approval. Qin Chuan said, "I have a few friends in Longcheng who are quite influential and have some understanding of the Han family. I'll call them to discuss this matter."
Zhou Congrong and Xiao Guodong raised their eyebrows in astonishment.
"You don't believe me?" Qin Chuan noticed their expressions.
Unexpectedly, Zhou Congrong and Xiao Guodong nodded simultaneously, their faces clearly conveying disbelief.
The Longcheng Han family was so formidable, and they themselves didn't understand them and hadn't found suitable connections to inquire. Yet Qin Chuan claimed to have friends who could help. They truly found it hard to believe.
"Damn it, I rarely show off and I'm too lazy to do such childish things. Your performance today is very unsatisfactory, and I'm going to show off this time!"
Qin Chuan angrily took out his phone and dialed a number, putting it on speakerphone.
The call rang a few times before being quickly answered by a very pleasant voice. "Hello, Xiao Chuan?"
"Xiao Mo, I'm home!"
"Mm, it's good you're home. I was just about to call and ask if you got home safely." Teacher Yang's gentle voice came from the other end.
"Hey, it was just a drive. With my twenty years of experience as a driver, there won't be any accidents." Qin Chuan said.
As soon as he said this, Zhou Congrong and Xiao Guodong, who were listening nearby, almost choked. Qin Chuan was only twenty-three years old; did he learn to drive when he was three?
As expected, Teacher Yang on the phone was amused and chided, "You're always talking nonsense."
Qin Chuan chuckled and then turned serious. "Xiao Mo, I need to ask you about something."
"Go ahead!"
"You must know the Han family well, right? The Han family that, like your own, is in the coal business."
There was a silence of about two or three seconds from Teacher Yang's end before her voice came through. "Why are you suddenly asking about the Han family?"
"It's like this, something happened here these past couple of days, and it involved the Longcheng Han family. So, I thought of you and wanted to ask."
Qin Chuan knew many people in Longcheng, many of whom understood the Han family, such as Fang Rumei, Huang Qi, his elder brother-in-law, and so on. But after thinking it over, Teacher Yang was the most suitable.
After all, their relationship was what it was, and if this matter truly involved Qin Chuan himself, he might need Teacher Yang's help later. Approaching Teacher Yang now was the best option.
"Xiao Chuan, what exactly happened on your end?" Teacher Yang's tone suddenly became much more serious.
Qin Chuan hesitated for a moment, looking at Zhou Congrong and Xiao Guodong beside him. He was considering whether to tell Teacher Yang directly.
Ultimately, he rejected the idea. For now, the Longcheng Han family hadn't made a move against them, and their actions would be considered rash.
Furthermore, if Teacher Yang found out and became too worried, she might do something that would lead to consequences, which would be even more troublesome!
"It's nothing major. Just fax me any information you have about the Han family. If I really need anything, I'll ask you." Qin Chuan said at last.
Teacher Yang still seemed unconvinced and anxiously said, "Xiao Chuan, if you really have a problem, you must tell me! The Han family is not a simple character!"
"Don't worry, when have I ever been unreliable in handling matters!"
"Jot down this phone number. Once you find information on the Han family, just fax it over." Qin Chuan said. Xiao Guodong, who had been listening intently, quickly picked up a pen and paper and scribbled down a number.
"Give me half an hour!" Teacher Yang said after noting the number, and then hung up the phone.