RMM -Chapter 220 Zhou Yun Zhen’s Calculated Scheme

Zhou Yun Zhen was still in D Province, while her other colleagues had long since left.

Before leaving, her colleagues were puzzled by Zhou Yun Zhen’s insistence on staying. Why remain here? In this cold weather, why not return to B City sooner? What’s even worth staying for here?

But Zhou Yun Zhen, having finally arrived in D Province, would not leave so easily. Besides, she had met Xi Yue Chen once before and was now eager to encounter him again.

However, since that time, Xi Yue Chen seemed to have vanished from this place. No matter how Zhou Yun Zhen roamed the streets and alleys of L City every day, there was no sign of him.

She thought about asking her father, but felt a bit embarrassed. Her father would certainly ask, Why are you on a business trip instead of staying put? And why are you asking about Xi Yue Chen?

Initially, Zhou Yun Zhen thought L City wasn’t that big, and she would inevitably run into him. Haste makes waste; after all, she had met him on the first day.

Thinking back to that encounter, Zhou Yun Zhen sipped her coffee and furrowed her brows slightly. She wondered how Su Ruo was doing now—was her relationship with Xi Yue Chen still as close?

No. A girl like Su Ruo, born a favored child, always having everything she wanted, would never tolerate infidelity from someone close. Her proud, confident nature meant that the love she once had for Xi Yue Chen could easily have turned into resentment.

With that thought, Zhou Yun Zhen’s furrowed brows slowly relaxed, a trace of smugness glinting in her eyes. To her, Su Ruo was nothing more than a high-spirited heiress, accustomed to smooth sailing in life. Seeing the husband she adored having an affair would be unbearable. Even if it didn’t lead to a complete break, a huge quarrel was inevitable. And a mature, steady man like Xi Yue Chen certainly wouldn’t enjoy a noisy, confrontational woman.

Indeed, such a spoiled “princess” could never compete with her. Even if Su Ruo had some family-backed business ventures, what was there to fear?

But… Zhou Yun Zhen felt troubled again. Su Ruo was no threat, but no matter how certain she was of victory, she first needed to locate Xi Yue Chen! Having come all the way to D Province, if she didn’t seize this opportunity now, returning to B City later would make approaching Xi Yue Chen far more difficult.

Recalling the shocking nationwide case that happened in D Province a few days ago, Zhou Yun Zhen felt uneasy. Although the incident didn’t affect them directly that night, she had immediately heard about it the next day.

Initially, Zhou Yun Zhen had no strong reaction—it wasn’t related to her. She had merely smiled lightly and remarked that justice would be served: lawbreakers deserved to be dealt with.

Yet on reflecting further, something seemed off, as if she had overlooked a detail.

Zhou Ting Zhang hadn’t known his daughter secretly went to D Province—at least before the Imperial City incident. Otherwise, he would have recalled her to B City. Even though the event was only in the Imperial City, it had considerable repercussions. What if it had affected other places?

Zhou Yun Zhen had only told her father about her presence in D Province after he had asked her to return home. The news shocked him, and he had been momentarily speechless.

But now, what use was regret? His daughter was already in D Province, with a perfectly legitimate excuse: a business trip. Even if he wanted, he couldn’t summon her from the hospital to question her supervisors. Despite her usual compliance, when Zhou Yun Zhen was determined, she was like a stubborn bull.

With the chaos in D Province settling, Zhou Yun Zhen’s father allowed her to stay and work, recognizing that career was important.

This tacit approval made Zhou Yun Zhen feel even more justified. She called the department head to request a few days off to relax and stay behind, not returning with the others.

Although the department head found her sudden decision unusual, it was hard to refuse. Besides her excellent record and consistent attendance, a few days off were reasonable.

All conditions were now favorable, yet the person she sought remained elusive. No matter how calm Zhou Yun Zhen tried to be, she could not hide her impatience. Where was Xi Yue Chen, and why had she not seen him for so long? It was as if he were not in L City at all.

Had she not met him on the first day, she wouldn’t have been so confident. She would have assumed he was in the military, and it would have been natural not to see him, prompting her to seek other ways to approach him.

But now the situation was different. She had seen Xi Yue Chen in a leisure environment, surrounded by revelry and company. This indicated that wherever he was stationed, he wasn’t fully devoted to a single focus. Since she had encountered him here once, it was no coincidence. She was sure that if she persisted, she could meet him again—and next time, she wouldn’t remain silent.

Yet so much time had passed, and she still hadn’t seen him. Doubts about her decision began to creep in.

Zhou Yun Zhen began to reconsider the Imperial City incident from a few days ago. She had learned from her father that Xi Yue Chen had been suddenly deployed to D Province. Could this be related?

Now that she considered his deployment, something felt off. A young, accomplished officer with a distinguished record and an exceptional background would usually be assigned to a higher position. Why would he be sent to a remote, peripheral area at a crucial moment? It felt like a punishment.

Having grown up with Zhou Ting Zhang, Zhou Yun Zhen was naturally familiar with military affairs. Being assigned to a troubled, remote region like D Province could only mean two things: either a dead-end assignment, or a “gold-plating” opportunity. The region’s complexity offered opportunities to achieve military merit, which was rare in peacetime.

Xi Yue Chen, a prodigy, wouldn’t be punished, so his presence here was clearly for career advancement.

Take the recent D Province drug lord case: the nationwide attention it received highlighted its significance. Such an explosive case couldn’t have happened without higher authorization. Its sudden exposure left no buffer time, indicating its special nature.

For a case like this, whoever was in charge would earn significant merit. After achieving this “gold,” career advancement was all but guaranteed… Wait!

Zhou Yun Zhen’s expression changed as realization struck.

Airborne deployment… merit opportunity… Imperial City… special case…

Connecting the dots, Zhou Yun Zhen’s thoughts clarified: perhaps she had initially approached things from the wrong direction. Otherwise, how could Xi Yue Chen have coincidentally appeared in the Imperial City?

Zhou Yun Zhen, being clever, immediately pieced together the clues. Her face changed dramatically as she realized: could it be that Xi Yue Chen was the one handling this nationally sensational case?

The more she thought, the more certain she became that his deployment to D Province had an important reason. Soon after his arrival, D Province’s criminal underworld was thrown into chaos. How could that be coincidental? Damn! Why hadn’t she realized sooner?

Frustrated, Zhou Yun Zhen muttered under her breath, grabbed her phone, and dialed without hesitation.

“Hello, Dad.”

Though her expression was stern, her tone was perfectly polite—soft and pleasant, like a spring breeze.

“Hmm? Why call your father all of a sudden? Finally decided to come home?”

Her father’s playful voice rang out, pleased to hear from his daughter.

“Dad, you’ve always been the most important to me.”

Zhou Yun Zhen never held back praise, especially to her closest family.

“Hmph, you sure know what to say,” Zhou Ting Zhang feigned annoyance, then laughed. “Nothing happened to you, right?”

Although his daughter was self-reliant and competent, he still asked out of habit.

“There is something I wanted to ask,” Zhou Yun Zhen said with a smile, pausing briefly. “I’m in D Province now, and I suddenly remembered Xi Yue Chen is here too. Since I’m here, I thought it would be nice to meet him.”

“Xi Yue Chen?” Zhou Ting Zhang was momentarily surprised. “What do you want to ask him?”

“Nothing much. I’ve heard so much about him from you, Dad. After admiring his reputation, I’m just curious. I thought if I had the chance to meet him, I could see for myself why you speak so highly of him.”

Zhou Yun Zhen spoke with a smile, tinged with playful jealousy, as if slightly envious of how her father praised someone else.

Zhou Ting Zhang laughed heartily. His daughter’s playful demeanor delighted him; it was rare to see in his usually mature child.

“If you had asked a few days ago, I could have contacted him. But now he’s already returned, so you won’t see him. How about this: if you really want to meet him, wait until you come home, and I’ll set it up for you.”

“Returned?”

Zhou Yun Zhen’s heart sank immediately.