If someone wanted to close down the highway and was in a hurry, the best way to do it was to go straight to the highway management office.

Xing Cong Lian got in his car and as soon as he stepped on the accelerator, the jeep sped away.

The atmosphere inside was heavy, no one daring to speak. Lin Chen sat in the front seat while Wang Chao and Yang Dian Feng sat in the back. After holding back for so long, the manager finally couldn’t help himself. “You didn’t need to speak to Young Master Huang at all!” As he spoke, he glared at Lin Chen with accusation in his eyes.

“It’s my duty. If I didn’t speak up, it would be my problem, but since he didn’t listen, it became his. It’s fine.” Xing Cong Lian gripped the steering wheel with both hands and took a moment to nudge Lin Chen, saying, “Give me a cigarette.” 

Lin Chen looked around, but couldn’t find a pack.

“In my pocket.” Xing Cong Lian leaned forward slightly.

Yang Dian Feng watched all of this from the back seat, feeling as though he had been completely ignored again.

“You shouldn’t have left. Inspector Huang choosing to reply as he did is totally because of personal reasons. You need to report this to your superior!” Yang Dian Feng spoke again, raising his voice.

“Why should I do that?” Xing Cong Lian never took Huang Ze seriously to begin with. He stepped on the accelerator and cut off the vehicle in front of them. “Anger is a waste of time.”

If Huang Ze was here, he probably would’ve vomited blood.

Hong Jing Highway management office was located about 50 km away from the crime scene. Even at full speed, they didn’t arrive until nearly half an hour later.

On the way over, Xing Cong Lian called the old director and made a report on the case’s latest progress, hoping to get his help.

Anticipating their arrival, the highway management’s people were waiting for them in the parking lot.

“Hello, Captain Xing. I am Liu Hang, assistant to the chairman of Hong Jing Expressway Co., Ltd.”

A young man with gold-rimmed glasses approached as Xing Cong Lian and his party were getting out of the car.

“Your chairman?” Xing Cong Lian asked as they walked. 

“The chairman is in a meeting.” Liu Hang looked at Xing Cong Lian and everyone else. Although Liu Hang remained polite, his tone still held a shed of disapproval.

When he received a call from the office just now, he heard that the captain of the criminal investigation team wanted to see their management to close up the highway. He thought it was ridiculous for a mere captain from the municipal police office to make such a request. Now that he met the actual person clad in plain clothing and saw the jeep he drove, Liu Hang was even more certain that the captain had no background. In short, he was just an ordinary civil servant.

Xing Cong Lian knew that this man looked down on him. In any case, using the power of one’s background to pressure people was only one way of solving problems. Using reason was another.

“We’re in a rush. Even if the chairman is in the toilet right now, we need to break through.” Xing Cong Lian didn’t waste any time with the assistant….

Liu Hang was struck speechless.

As an assistant, Liu Hang certainly could not allow his boss to be embarrassed. Making a decision, he invited Xing Cong Lian and his company into the office before excusing himself to go and find the chairman.

The four in the office were left to their own devices.

Hong Jing Highway ran through two provinces, so it was quite a profitable business. Naturally, the chairman’s office was very luxurious.

Oak flooring, mahogany furniture, a leather sofa, jade carvings, all four eye-catching items essential for the rich were seen here. The only difference compared to other offices was that instead of a famous foreign painting or one of a fierce tiger, there was a massive picture that hung behind the leather chair.

The picture was old with yellowed corners. The people in it were wearing late 80’s clothes, spreading mortar for the highway’s foundation. If one paid closer attention, figures of some big-shots who had already entered retirement could be seen. With that in mind, these people should be quite old by now.

Only one part of this massive photo looked new, located in the lower corner. It was that of a beautiful lady wearing a simple silk cheongsam. Her long hair was tied in a bun, held by an ebony hairpin with several strands of hair framing her face. Instead of appearing messy, the hair made the lady’s ears look like jade. Her face was unadorned, wearing only a quiet smile. It showed a temperament that exposed her excellent upbringing, something that couldn’t be imitated.

It was as if her presence was the sole reason that the picture shone with brilliance.

Yang Dian Feng noticed the big photo occupying half of the wall as soon as he entered the room. Once he saw the beautiful lady on it, he subconsciously turned to Xing Cong Lian.

Even Xing Cong Lian was shocked when he saw the picture.

Since both Yang Dian Feng and Xing Cong Lian were staring at the photo, Lin Chen and Wang Chao followed suit.

And so, when Liu Hang returned, what he saw was four people sitting on the sofa, staring at the picture on the wall.

“The chairman said that he would be here in a minute.” Liu Hang coughed, interrupting the four scrutinizing the picture.

“Are you interested in this picture, Captain Xing?” The room was too silent, so Liu Hang scrambled to find a talking point. “This photo was taken on the day the foundation of the Hong Jing Highway was laid. The ceremony was very grand. Not only did many high ranking officials appear in person, even more noteworthy was an important person from the highway investors was also there.” Having recited these sentences thousands of times, Liu Xing was eloquent. Then, he looked at the beautiful lady and continued to talk.

As the first ever highway to be built in China, the initial progress for Hong Jing Highway was met with numerous roadblocks, particularly with funding. At that time, private companies had only begun to expand and those so-called North and South rich families were just starting out.

In order to raise money for construction, Hong Jing’s mayor asked for money everywhere. After several setbacks, he found himself in front of what legend had it was the most prominent family in China.

It was said that on the day the mayor went to the family’s door for a cup of tea, he came out with all the funds needed to complete the construction.

“Is this beautiful lady that Miss. Xing?” Wang Chao suddenly raised his hand and asked excitedly.

“No, not Miss. Xing, it’s Mrs. Xing.” Liu Hang looked at Xing Cong Lian and smiled, “In pronunciation, it’s just like Captain Xing’s.”

“Nah, our boss’s name is written with the knife radical. It’s just the name that’s pronounced the same as that big family.” Wang Chao patted Xing Cong Lian’s shoulder and said, “Boss, your surname is the same as the Xings, yet you’re still so poor.”

Xing Cong Lian staggered a bit from the pat, and unexpectedly stayed silent as he looked at the picture of the lady.

Wang Chao was joking, but it showed that in the minds of ordinary people, other than being rich, the most prominent family in China was super rich.

The Xing family had been in business since the end of the Ming Dynasty and the early Qing Dynasty. Their traces could be found all over the world. From big industries like oil and mineral resources to everyday necessities like firewood and rice, this family did it all. But if it was just this, the Xing family would have just been another rich family.

Rumor has it that Chinese people all over the world deeply respected this family.

The reason for this was, when war broke out a hundred years ago, the Xing family provided shelter for countless Chinese people overseas. Even now, they run the biggest overseas Chinese charity organization, focusing on helping their countrymen in foreign lands. 

In summary, all the praises boiled down to this one sentence: 

The Xing family is really awesome.

Breaking the silence all of a sudden, the door was pushed open and the chairman of the Hong Jing Expressway Co., Ltd strode into the room.

Instead of greeting the people inside his office, he sat down behind his desk and began answering his phone.

The content of the call was full of trivial minutiae, such as going abroad for an inspection. He talked to the person on the other end without pausing, appearing as though he didn’t intend to end the call any time soon.

At this moment, Xing Cong Lian got up, walked over to the chairman’s desk and pulled out the cord.

“Who are you? Who let you into my office?” The chairman was indignant.

“Xing Cong Lian, Captain of the Hong Jing Criminal Department.”

Perhaps Xing Cong Lian’s gaze was too glacial, but the chairman relented after a moment of deadlock. “Captain Xing, please sit down.” The man waved his hand and said, “I heard you’ve come to ask me to close down the highway?”

“We concluded that the hijacker might make a big move today. For the safety of the highway’s users, I hope you can agree to temporarily close down the highway in the Hong Jing section.”

“You’re telling me to shut down the highway just because you think a kid might do something? Do you know how much the shareholders will lose if we do that?!”

“No idea.”

“No idea?!” The chairman was so angry, his finger almost poked Xing Cong Lian’s face.

“I don’t know much, but what I do know is that if you don’t take responsibility now, you will have to bear the consequences later.” Xing Cong Lian’s eyes were ice cold.

“Consequences?” The chairman sneered. “Captain Xing, do you think the highway belongs to your family?”

Hearing this, an odd thought rose in Xing Cong Lian’s mind.