Yang Zhengwen shrugged. It was possible, but the uncle and nephew’s reactions were decidedly strange. One had gone out of his way to report a missing coat to the police, while the other seemed determined to keep the matter quiet. Something was clearly wrong.
Zheng Xin didn’t keep him guessing.
“What’s missing is the Emperor’s Tear. It was inside the coat.”
Yang Zhengwen drew a sharp breath.
Well, that explained it. He’d wondered how a coat could warrant the Xiao family calling the police—or why anyone would risk their retaliation just to steal one. The Emperor’s Tear had been inside it all along!
Even before his transfer to Linhai, Yang Zhengwen had heard the story of the Xiao family paying three and a half billion for a green gemstone at auction. He also knew that its symbolic significance outweighed even its monetary value. No wonder the uncle and nephew were so anxious.
“But if they’re that worried, why keep it under wraps?” he asked, puzzled.
Zheng Xin gave him a meaningful look.
“What do you think?”
“…”
Yang Zhengwen fell silent. He wasn’t an idiot. He had, after all, graduated with honors from a public security university. He could manage a little basic analysis.
According to Xiao Yi, the gang had known not only that he was carrying the Emperor’s Tear, but also when and where he would be traveling. They had attacked him as well. The mastermind was most likely someone within the Xiao family—perhaps even an enemy of Xiao Yi’s, hoping to strip Xiao Ji of his position as heir and eliminate Xiao Yi in the process.
Yang Zhengwen felt a tangle of emotions.
“Life in a wealthy family isn’t easy either. Even your relatives will stab you in the back.”
“Are you really that naive?” Zheng Xin looked exasperated. “Don’t tell me you think Xiao Yi is a good man.”
Yang Zhengwen stared at her.
“Huh?”
“Do you think those two don’t know who did this? They know perfectly well. The only reason they brought in the police is—”
“Is what?”
Zheng Xin didn’t answer. Whether Xiao Yi had deliberately had the case transferred to the municipal bureau after learning who she was or not, she had no intention of becoming embroiled in the Xiao family’s internal affairs.
Back in the hospital room, Xiao Ji looked stunned.
“You mean Zheng Yeping of Huanda Shipping?”
“Yes.”
“…”
Xiao Ji was speechless. The Xiaos were unquestionably one of Linhai’s foremost families, but a few other families had histories just as long. The Zhengs were among them.
They kept a lower profile than the Xiaos, yet their foundations ran equally deep. They controlled every shipping port in Linhai, as well as all the shipping companies across the Asia-Pacific region. They were a true maritime giant.
Their current family head, Zheng Yeping, had been generous and charitable in his younger years, helping numerous entrepreneurs build businesses from nothing. As a result, his connections were extensive. Even in retirement, he remained enormously influential in Linhai—a man no one could afford to underestimate.
That such a powerful man’s granddaughter had chosen to become a police officer was surprising, to say the least.
“But…” Xiao Ji hesitated. “Would Zheng Yeping involve himself in the Xiao family’s internal affairs just because of his granddaughter?”
“Of course not,” Xiao Yi replied.
Xiao Ji blinked. He was about to ask why his uncle had done it, then, when Xiao Yi calmly added, “But he will know that I was the one who put this case in Zheng Xin’s hands.”
Xiao Ji’s pupils contracted.
He understood. His uncle was preparing to purge the Xiao family.
When he remained silent, Xiao Yi regarded him steadily with those dark green eyes.
“What is it? Can’t bear the thought?”
Xiao Ji shook his head, his voice low.
“If they dared to attack you, they’ve already abandoned any regard for family. No one can blame you.”
He glanced again at Xiao Yi’s pale face, a flicker of guilt appearing in his eyes.
“Please get some rest. I’ll take care of Qiao Group. I won’t disappoint you again.”
He gave his uncle a respectful nod and left, his expression grave.
Yang Xuan watched him walk away, then turned to his boss. At last, he couldn’t hold back.
“Sir.”
“Yes?”
“Wasn’t it the young man who stole your coat who injured your ribs when he slammed into you?”
Why had his boss made it sound as though an entire gang had beaten him up?
“…”
“Was it?” Xiao Yi lowered his head to sip his warm black tea.
“I forgot,” he said casually.
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