Yes, Madam Prime Minister

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"This..." Ye Zhongqing had an objection, hesitated for a moment, and then said, "I am originally from Wuhan. I grew up there, studied, cultivated myself, and even joined the organization."

"Isn't it better to go home?" the man with the mustache retorted.

"Vice President!" Ye Zhongqing exclaimed excitedly, "I'm being watched by that group. It would be easy for them to find out that I've resigned. Without knowing my whereabouts, their first reaction will definitely be to come to Wuhan to look for clues. If I go to Wuhan, this..."

He thought to himself that this was simply a mental breakdown.

In the vast city of Seris, he could easily find a place to hide. Even if the group came to Wuhan and found some clues, they would have no chance of finding him or any trace of the organization.

But he himself went to Wuhan, and even after hearing this, the organization was preparing to take action. What does that mean?

"Is the organization planning a trap? Vice President, the other side is quite powerful. If things escalate, it could have far-reaching consequences," Ye Zhongqing earnestly advised.

The man with the mustache said only one sentence: "This is a matter for the organization to study and decide. I will raise your objections on your behalf, but I hope you understand until the organization changes its decision."

"Yes, I accept the order." Ye Zhongqing lowered his head.

Meanwhile, in the distant northeast, in the coastal city of Jinzhou.

Guo Hanlu was reporting to Luo Nan the information she had obtained through some friends.

Ronan nodded. The target had disappeared, which was entirely expected. What he hadn't expected was that the other party had made a special trip back to "clean up" his house and also resigned from his job.

"What are your plans next?" Lu Jianling asked from the side.

“To Wuhan,” Ronan replied.

Guo Hanlu glanced at Ronan sideways, "Members of secret organizations like his aren't stupid criminals with screws in their heads; they wouldn't be so foolish as to go back to their hometowns."

Ronan just smiled. "I didn't expect him to have a relapse. But going to his hometown will at least allow us to see some traces of his life when he was young, and maybe we can find some clues."

“Agreed.” Lu Jianling echoed Ronan. “According to the information provided by Hanlu, the target Ye Zhongqing is very clean. An organization that such a person joins is probably not a secret society that simply pursues profit. Such organizations usually recruit young people.”

Guo Hanlu nodded, arms crossed. "That's true. Students are the easiest to be lured into joining organizations that claim to be fighting for ideals."

"We'll rest for two days, and the day after tomorrow, we'll head to Wuhan," Ronan decided.

"I'm going to buy a boat ticket."

Chapter 1122 Arrival in Wuhan, Direct Purchase of Housing, Three-Way Division

A few days later, Ronan and his party boarded the ship.

The technology of this extraordinary world was already more advanced than that of Ronan's original timeline. In addition, when Ronan was focusing on improving agricultural productivity to create conditions for industry, he also made some progress in technology and developed the steam engine early on.

It was now 1783, the end of the 18th century, and steamships already existed. However, steamships were not yet widely used, and the same was true for the steam locomotives that had been invented; they existed, but were still quite some time away from widespread application.

Ronan and his group were traveling on a coastal sailboat, which would take them ten days to travel from Bincheng to Shanghai, and then they would transfer to a passenger ship to reach Wuhan. This Wuhan refers to the three towns of Wuhan: Wuchang, Hanyang, and Hankou, roughly corresponding to the central urban area of ​​Wuhan in Ronan's original timeline.

As a city with frequent trade and developed commerce due to geographical factors, Wuhan's housing rental industry is naturally also well-developed.

Unfortunately, Ronan and his group were not locals, so they had to rent small houses on a long-term basis, not short-term, with a minimum of one year and a six-month deposit. If they wanted to rent a large house, they would need two local guarantors.

Ronan and his group didn't want to rent small houses, and they couldn't find large houses, so the real estate agent suggested an idea: there were large houses in towns near the city that didn't require a guarantor and were reasonably priced. For example, Huangpi Town had quite a few vacant large houses.

"No need," Ronan said immediately. "Let's just buy a house. Buying a house doesn't require a guarantor, right?"

"Of course not," the agent replied. He had thought he would make a small profit on this trip, but now it seemed he was about to make a fortune. In an instant, his attitude changed from enthusiastic to obsequious, and he offered to treat Ronan and his group to dinner, where they could talk over a meal.

The agent instructed his men to bring over some documents, and then led Ronan and his group to a restaurant.

The restaurant isn't a top-tier establishment, nor is it the kind of place where private banquets are held in a small garden, but it's not bad either. It's mid-range, a place where people with above-average incomes can afford to dine.

Even if the deal falls through, he won't have wasted too much money.

Not long after we arrived at the private room, just as the cold dishes were served, the agent's men came in carrying a large box filled with floor plans and descriptions of the houses.

The agent asked first, "What price range are you looking for?"

"Between thirty and forty thousand," Guo Hanlu replied.

The agent asked excitedly, "Is it peony or dragon essence?"

Both the Peony and Dragon Yuan coins are silver coins. The Peony coin was minted and issued at the site of the founding of the People's Republic of China and the relocation of its capital. It features a peony flower on the obverse and the national emblem on the reverse. It contains 95% silver and weighs two qian (10 grams), making it almost equivalent to silver in the past. The Dragon Yuan coin, however, was different. It was issued several decades before the end of World War II. It was very beautiful and durable, but contained only 80% silver, weighed one liang (50 grams), and had a fixed face value of one yuan.

"Dragon Essence," Guo Hanlu replied.

"Oh," the agent replied, suppressing his excitement.

Thirty or forty thousand dragon coins is equivalent to twenty or thirty thousand taels of silver, which is a lot, even considering the significant price increases in the decades since the war. When he was a child, his father earned thirty or fifty taels a year, and his family lived quite comfortably. Now, he earns a little over a hundred taels a year, but he still feels a bit lacking.

Ten thousand taels can still buy a four-courtyard mansion in a good location, while twenty or thirty thousand taels can buy a five-courtyard mansion with a garden.

The agent quickly brought out the best house plans he had.

Ronan shook his head after only two glances. "I don't want a traditional courtyard house. I want a modern villa with mountains, water, and flowers."

The so-called "mountain, water, and flower" villa is thanks to Ronan and Ambrina. Ronan's work on the concrete provided the material foundation, while Ambrina and a group of unconventional Cerrois were the designers. The "mountain" refers to the main villa structure, which has three floors in the middle and two floors on each side. The "water" refers to the water supply and drainage system, which includes enclosed water rooms, bathrooms, and toilets. The "flowers" are the small gardens.

These small courtyard villas were just so-so when they first came into being, but in recent decades, with the rise of industry and commerce and the emergence of many large cities, they have become popular rapidly. This is because land in large cities is limited, and wealthy and powerful people in Seres have never liked or been able to stay away from the city center where local politics are located. Therefore, the newly rich who have prospered through industry and commerce in recent decades generally prefer these small courtyard villas.

These small villas may not be large, but they are expensive because their water supply and drainage systems are costly. It's not that the villas themselves are expensive; the reason they are so pricey is that they need to be connected to the city's water supply and sewage systems. These city systems are built at great expense—the government pays for them, and you think you can just complain about it for free? Don't even dream about it.

Three days later, Luo Nan made the decision, and Guo Hanlu paid 23,000 dragon coins to buy a 500-square-meter second-hand villa near the riverbank in Wuchang.

Ten days later, Isabel and her two companions, who had entered Seris, were brought to Wuhan by Ronan.

Ambrina stayed in her hometown to travel, and Alice and Zhao Yingqi accompanied her; the three of them did not come along.

Falek and the others continued to analyze and study the two potions in the New World.

With the people in place, the investigation of clues naturally began.

There are many foreigners in Wuhan, so foreigners like Ronan don't stand out. On the contrary, tall women like Lu Jianling are the ones who stand out.

Lu Jianling and Lavana, whose Chinese was not very good, stayed at home.

The group split into several groups. Guo Hanlu and Madam Zhao pretended to be debt collectors, using the pretext of finding Ye Zhongqing to collect a debt to question his relatives and friends, and to inquire about his past.

Those two are the ones most likely to gain something.

Ronan took Isabel to Ye Zhongqing's old school, claiming to be a business friend of Ye Zhongqing. He said he had been living in northern Seris but had recently moved here and his child was about to transfer schools, so he wanted to visit and learn more about the school.

Ye Zhongqing is not old, only in his forties, yet he has already reached the fourth level. He must have been a genius and top student in school back then. Even though he graduated many years ago, there should still be some senior members of the school who remember him.

If he's lucky, some of his former college classmates might still be teaching at the school.

Meanwhile, Golan and Ashley conducted some covert investigations. According to some information provided by Guo Hanlu, Ye Zhongqing worked for a large company in Wuhan for seven or eight years after graduation. He was almost thirty years old when he went to Songliao in Northeast China to develop his career.

Seven or eight years will leave many traces, and you can always find some clues.

In the blink of an eye, another ten days or so have passed, and it's now late December, the end of the year.

The three groups reunited.

"How have you been doing these past few days?" Lu Jianling asked.

Guo Hanlu smiled and said, "There are too many to list in just a sentence or two."

“We’ve also made some significant discoveries here,” Ronan said.

"Let's eat first and then talk about it," said Golan.

Speaking of which, having been in Wuhan for so many days, they've been busy inquiring about their target, and this is the first time this group of people has gathered together for a meal.

Chapter 1123 Summary of the Exchange: Everyone Gains Something, the Goal is the Son of the Goal

After the meal, the discussion and summary began.

Ye Zhongqing's parents were ordinary people, not poor, but they barely managed to make ends meet by running a breakfast stall from dawn till dusk.

He was able to enroll because of his innate talent; after testing confirmed it, he only needed to pay tuition. Later, after entering the higher education institution, he further earned scholarships based on his outstanding academic performance.

Unlike many who become extraordinary and grow increasingly estranged from their ordinary parents, Ye Zhongqing maintained a good relationship with his parents and had good ties with his relatives. So much so that when Guo Hanlu and Madam Zhao impersonated creditors and came knocking on his door, one of his relatives, who wasn't exactly doing well himself, even asked him how much he owed, implying that he would help him pay it off.

Especially Ye Zhongqing's uncle's family.

Fortunately, Guo Hanlu and the other person said they weren't in a hurry, and even claimed to be acquaintances of Ye Zhongqing, saying they were more concerned about his whereabouts than about the money. His uncle then gave up the idea and breathed a sigh of relief.

Ye Zhongqing's parents had passed away in an accident years ago.

Guo Hanlu and the others learned a lot from her uncle.

Ye Zhongqing had a few playmates when he was a child, but after growing up and starting school until he left Wuhan, he had no friends left. Right after graduation, Ye Zhongqing suddenly married an ordinary woman and had a son. However, a few years later, his parents passed away, and soon after, he divorced his wife and moved to Northeast China, leaving his son behind, only a sum of money for his wife and son.

Now, his ex-wife is raising their son alone.

Although Ye Zhongqing's uncle felt that Guo Hanlu and her husband didn't seem like bad people, he was still somewhat wary and didn't reveal any information about Ye Zhongqing's ex-wife and son.

"However, we did find his ex-wife and son, but we didn't contact them. That depends on Ashley and the others."

Guo Hanlu said.

Ronan didn't have much information.

Just as Ronan had predicted, Ye Zhongqing was quite famous during his student days. Someone like him, who hadn't studied for long but had already achieved a high status, would still be a highly regarded genius even in this era, just like academic superstars such as Lu Jianling and Agustina.

But his campus life was different from Lu Jianling's and Tina's. Lu Jianling came from a powerful family and had a high-ranking official who secretly took care of her, who regarded her as his future daughter-in-law. Someone like her could only have "good people" around her. Tina, on the other hand, came from a wealthy family that had gone bankrupt. She was lazy, insecure yet arrogant, and also ruthless. She didn't provoke anyone, but if anyone provoked her, she would retaliate.

Ye Zhongqing's school days were more like Ge Lan's. On the surface, he could greet and chat with any classmate, but he wasn't friends with anyone and was very lonely. The difference was that Ge Lan had an object of affection, Ronan, with whom she frequently corresponded, while Ye Zhongqing didn't have such a person.

Ronan said, "According to one of his old classmates, he had just started college."

He joined a company at that time, but later had a conflict with someone and left. For the next two years, he was almost completely out of the public eye.

On the last leg of their journey, Grand and Ashley's serious investigation yielded little result, but they made an unexpected discovery.

Ashley infiltrated the company where Ye Zhongqing had worked in his youth. This long-established company, which mainly engaged in the processing of non-core parts for supernatural weapons and magical artifacts, was unknown in the past. At least it was very respectable now. Those who wanted to falsify accounts did so, those who wanted to embezzle did so, those who wanted to take kickbacks took kickbacks, those who wanted to bully others bullied others, and those who wanted to fight among themselves fought among themselves. In short, it had all the qualities that a respectable company should have. There were no secret societies inside, and there were no such people in the middle and upper management.

In short, there is nothing suspicious about the places where Ye Zhongqing once worked.

The unexpected discovery came from Ye Zhongqing's son, Ye Jingye.

Ye Jingye was originally just an ordinary person. Fortunately, his mother did not choose to live off her family's wealth. Instead, she used most of the money left by his father to buy shops. Although they were not valuable or prime locations, they were enough to ensure that the mother and son would have no worries about food and clothing. They could even pay for his artificial talent and his tuition at a top-tier school.

This seventeen-year-old boy, who was still in school, was two-timing. On the one hand, he was dating a rich girl at school, and on the other hand, he was dating a young girl who was obviously several years older than him outside of school.

This girl is no good girl; she's an extraordinary individual and a member of a criminal gang.

"A criminal gang?" Ronan asked curiously.

"Hankou is a vibrant, bustling city that never sleeps, but the bright lights at night can't illuminate the real darkness. In fact, the real darkness lies within those hundreds of brightly lit entertainment venues," Ashley explained with a smile.

The three towns of Wuhan are truly interesting. Hanyang is an industrial base, Wuchang is the administrative center, and Hankou, such a small place, is what Ashley would call the "Little Paris of the East"—equally bright and equally dark.

Both legitimate and shady deals occur frequently here.

“Do you think Mr. Ye, who has left the Northeast, will return to Wuhan to see his son? After all, based on the information we have, he only has this one son, and he's not the kind of heartless person,” Ronan said, looking at the others.

“That’s possible,” Guo Hanlu replied.

Isabel took a sip of tea and began to express her thoughts in a serious tone, "I find all of this very strange. Not to mention how the target's ex-wife, an ordinary mortal, could have spent most of her savings to buy a shop back then, it's also unusual that she hasn't encountered any trouble all these years and has been able to maintain this continuously generating income. She's just an ordinary person, and although she doesn't have much wealth, it's precisely because she's a single mother with little wealth, no power, and no backing that she's most likely to attract those troublesome low-level thugs."

“I agree.” Lu Jianling supported Isabel’s idea. “It’s very likely that the organization the target joined has arranged for someone to keep an eye on him secretly. However, it’s probably not some high-level care or protection. They just check on him every now and then and help him solve any minor problems he encounters. Otherwise, his son wouldn’t be neglecting his studies and having an ambiguous relationship with members of a criminal gang.”

Golan put her hands behind her head and leaned back on the sofa nonchalantly. "Why say so much? We're just going to find that brat anyway."

“That makes sense,” Ronan replied with a smile.

Madam Zhao sat upright. "Should we do something immediately, or observe the situation first?"

“Just observe the situation. It’s only a matter of time before these silly teenagers run into trouble in that kind of place,” Ashley asserted. She knew all too well how unfriendly such places were to teenagers who thought they had some ability or intelligence.

Especially nowadays, besides expensive but safe and stable artificial talents, there are also high-risk, low-potential artificial talents and cheap, low-quality transplantable magical devices—and that's only one aspect. Secondly, the number of legitimate superhumans is also excessive. Many superhumans who lack both strength and background cannot obtain high-paying, low-work-time jobs, and they almost unanimously choose to enter the dark side bred by the developed capitalist commercial environment.

Chapter 1124 Mother-Son Conflict, Childish Pain, and the Place of Man

On Sunday, Ye Zhongqing's ex-wife, Bai Yinglan, was off work and had just returned from collecting rent in Hankou.

Actually, she hadn't personally collected rent for many years. The reason was that years ago, after collecting rent, she was robbed on her way back. If someone hadn't intervened, she might have lost both her money and her life. After that incident, she sold two shops and bought an artificial talent, but unfortunately, she was already in her twenties at the time and hadn't received much education, so she's still only an inverted talent. Although she has some ability, she's always hired people to collect rent for her all these years.

The main reason I went to collect it myself this time was to take the opportunity to do something else: to inquire about the transplantation of magical artifacts.

In recent years, with the expansion and addition of new districts in Hankou, the shops she owns have become less and less valuable. Not only have the rents failed to keep up with rising prices, but they have also had to be lowered.

Her own salary wasn't high enough, so she thought about transplanting a card to achieve a Grand Perfection and then get a higher-paying job. Since divorcing her husband, she had started studying transcendental theories on her own. She always felt that the most important reason her husband divorced her was that they didn't have anything in common. Now, she had reached a certain level, and if she could achieve a Grand Perfection, she could meet the hiring requirements of some companies.

Anyway, she doesn't need to do any work that requires a lot of physical strength. The kind of transplant that can't be used for long periods of high-intensity operation is enough. She only needs one, and she generally won't have any mental problems.

Of course, the most important reason was to save money. It wasn't that she didn't have money, but that she wanted to leave her savings for her son.

Thinking of her son, Bai Yinglan felt very anxious. Her son was originally very good. Although he was not as talented as his father, his grades were still quite good in a top-tier school. However, his grades have been declining recently.

In the past, her son had always put her at ease, and she considered herself to be a person with low education, so she rarely lectured her son. She had endured it for a long time, but she could no longer bear it.

By evening, it was completely dark, and the food had gone cold.

Upon hearing the familiar footsteps and knocking, Bai Yinglan immediately went to open the door.