PCJ – Chapter 454 The Long Journey

Liu Qiaoye reached Meizi’ao Hotel just as the phone cut off with a series of beeps.

“The signal over there isn’t great; the call just suddenly dropped,” Zhang Jingbing said nervously.

“Did you note down the address?” Zhang Qigao asked irritably.

Zhang Jingbing nodded repeatedly, “Yes, I did! It’s Muyun Village in Xiu’an Township, Changfeng County. The phone belongs to the Party Secretary’s household.”

“Did you call Beggar’s Father?” Liu Qiaoye asked.

“Yes, I did. Brother Youping is already on his way home,” Zhang Jingbing replied hastily.

“Call him again and tell him to contact Magistrate Luo. Make sure Luo contacts Changfeng County no matter what. The police can trace the origin of that call,” Liu Qiaoye said with the confidence of someone seasoned in dealing with complex situations—far more composed than Zhang Jingbing and Zhang Qigao.

“Right, right, call Brother Youping again,” Zhang Qigao said as he swiftly dialed Zhang Youping’s number.

Soon, Magistrate Luo called back.

“Don’t worry, brother and sister-in-law. I’ve already contacted Changfeng County. They’ve agreed to send people to Muyun Village immediately. It won’t take long to find Beggar. But there’s a power outage in Xiuyan Township tonight, so the phone lines are down. We’ll have to wait until the officers from Changfeng County Public Security Bureau reach Muyun Village to confirm the situation. Don’t worry; since Beggar called home, nothing serious will happen,” Luo Changjun reassured them.

Zhang Youping changed course and headed directly for Changfeng County. It was located in Zhucheng, not adjacent to Zijiang City, and several hundred miles away in a straight line from Xintian County. By road, the journey spanned over a thousand miles.

Luo Changjun immediately instructed Zhu Qiyou from the Xintian County Public Security Bureau to lead a team of special police to accompany him. Since Changfeng County and Xintian County were under different prefectures, there was no direct route. Additionally, the Meishan Mountain Range separated the two counties, making it impossible to travel directly. To reach Changfeng County, they first needed to go to Zijiang City, then Zhucheng, and finally Changfeng County—a trip of about 20 hours.

Liu Qiaoye, unable to sit still after learning Beggar’s whereabouts, insisted, “I can’t wait anymore. I must go.”

Despite everyone’s persuasion, Liu was unmoved. “You expect me to stay home and wait? Even if we move slowly, just getting closer to Beggar will put me at ease.”

“Alright, take more cars with you! I’ll take care of Sister Qiaoye on the way,” Ma Yinxiu offered.

“I’ll go too. We can take turns looking after her,” Xie Chun’e chimed in.

“Women are nothing but trouble,” Zhang Qigao muttered, frustrated.

“I’m going too,” Chen Fenglian added.

Zhang Jingbing turned away, not daring to look at Zhang Qigao.

To everyone’s surprise, Zhang Qigao didn’t scold Zhang Jingbing this time. Instead, he relented, “Fine, fine. Since you’re all so insistent, I’ll risk getting scolded by Brother Youping. Hanggou, Wenrong, Jiagen, gather all the drivers from the factory fleet. Assign two drivers per car for shifts, and let’s head for Changfeng County without stopping.”

“Already done, Uncle Qigao. I called the drivers earlier,” Zhang Hanggou replied cheerfully.

“Good. But listen, drive slow if you must, and prioritize safety. Beggar won’t run away in Changfeng County. I’ll contact Brother Youping and have him wait for us there. Once we arrive, we’ll rest before heading back.”

“Got it, Uncle Qigao. We’ll be careful,” Zhang Hanggou assured.

Meanwhile, in Muyun Village, the power outage plunged the room into darkness.

“Why did the call drop?” Zhang Jiaohua panicked.

“It’s normal here. We often have power outages. The entire commune is out of power. Without electricity, the telecom office is down, and the phone lines are dead. Don’t worry, your parents know your situation and will come for you,” said Liu Zhongyang, the village Party Secretary.

Others in Muyun Village also comforted Zhang Jiaohua, who finally felt somewhat relieved.

“You should head back with Doctor Liu. If your parents call, I’ll let you know immediately,” Liu Zhongyang offered.

Zhang Jiaohua shook his head. “No, I’ll wait here. The power might come back soon, and I’ll call home again. My mom will be worried sick if she doesn’t hear from me.”

“But phone calls are expensive. Maybe it’s better to wait for your parents to arrive?” Liu Zhaodong hesitated, mindful of his limited finances.

Zhang Jiaohua quickly reassured him, “Don’t worry, Grandpa Liu. Once my parents come, they’ll pay for the calls. I just can’t leave my mom hanging like this.”

Despite his insistence, Liu Zhongyang was skeptical. From Zhang Jiaohua’s words, he sensed the family might not even have a phone at home, raising doubts about their financial situation.

“Why don’t you come back tomorrow? If your village receives your call, they can return it. We’ll set up a time for you to talk. We have work to do tomorrow, and it’s hard to rest with you waiting here,” Liu Zhongyang said firmly.

Without arguing, Zhang Jiaohua turned and walked out. “Let’s go, Grandpa Liu.”

Liu Zhaodong hesitated, unwilling to disappoint the young man. “Maybe let’s wait a little longer. The power might come back, and your village could call again.”