Chapter 411

The able-bodied men of the fishing village were all lying flat in the Civil Affairs Bureau cafeteria, using their relentless determination to force Zhang Yinlan to step forward and uphold justice.

Not a single person was at the old dock.

The fishing village was actually quite lively, with a group of idle women gathered together, sitting and complaining.

Several people were cursing Zheng Sanshui, wishing him a bad death.

After scolding, they still felt unsatisfied, so they went on to curse their own husbands as useless, blaming themselves for being blind and marrying the wrong person.

In the end, they felt suffocated with hatred.

Someone simply caught the running-around brat, took off their slippers and gave him a good spanking on the butt, and warned him not to go play at the seaside.

This is the hustle and bustle of mortal life.

Lin Dongfan got out of the car and saw this chaotic scene; he instantly felt like he had returned home, and wondered whether his old father had recently been swinging his whip at his aunt's butt.

It's already 2013, and the old gentleman is already 95 years old.

"Fan Zong, how come only you few came back? Where is my husband?"

"They're probably all been arrested."

"Fan Zong, you told the villagers to make a big fuss about this—it was your idea. Everyone trusted you before and listened to you, so you can't just wash your hands of it now."

"Where is my husband being held?"

……

Lin Dongfan hadn't even finished gathering his thoughts about his family when the group of village women under the big banyan tree ahead had already surrounded him.

Everyone was chatting, each saying a sentence.

Just because they didn't see other villagers return, they immediately turned the comedy into a tragedy. This baffling logic would make even a master detective cover his face and flee.

Xiaoyu stepped forward and said: "Who said they were arrested? That's not true."

"Why didn't my husband come back with you guys?" an older sister asked anxiously, having apparently forgotten that just moments ago she had been cursing her own husband as useless.

Lin Dongfan couldn't help but joke: "The Civil Affairs Bureau cafeteria has air conditioning, good food and drink service—your husband is living like a god right now, far more comfortable than coming back to get scolded."

"That heartless wretch—I knew he was no good!" the older sister seethed, her teeth itching with hatred.

Lin Dongfan wiped the grin from his face.

He solemnly reassured everyone: "Don't worry, it's fine. Director Zhang of the Civil Affairs Bureau has already gone to consult with higher authorities for a solution. Once the solution comes out, everyone will return."

Upon hearing Lin Dongfan say that, everyone felt much more at ease.

What they truly hoped for wasn't whether the men would come home, but rather the lifting of the fishing ban, which concerns the livelihood of their whole families.

Lin Dongfan accompanied Xiaoyu to the old dock for a trip.

The fishing boats moored at the shore have been seized and detained by the Fisheries Bureau. A cordon has been set up along the shore, with officials patrolling irregularly; no one may board the boats privately.

But all of Xiaoyu's belongings are on the boat.

She worries someone might steal her belongings, so she insists on coming to have a look.

Lin Dongfan stood on the shore observing the boat's contents: "You're overthinking it—just your junk, nobody would care."

"Even salted fish gets stolen."

Saying that, Xiaoyu turned her head toward Lao Ba.

The clever Lao Ba immediately declared: "Don't look at me, it won't work. I'm Fan Ge's personal bodyguard; Fan Ge's safety is more important than your salted fish. Don't expect me to stay and help you watch the boat."

Xiaoyu then shifted her gaze to Liu Wei.

Liu Wei was about to repeat Lao Ba's lines when Lin Dongfan tapped his shoulder twice: "Let's just set up a tent right here—salted fish are still fish, we must take this seriously."

……！！！

Liu Wei frowned and said nothing.

Inside, however, he felt a myriad of emotions—pretty girls indeed get special treatment!

In his ears, a familiar military song seemed to play: "Sea breeze, you blow gently; sea waves, you sway gently. Oh, the hardships of the sailors on distant voyages..."

A sailor who hasn't received special care from Fan Ge isn't a good sailor.

That evening.

Liu Wei set up a tent by the dock, guarding Xiaoyu's salted fish.

Lin Dongfan then took Xiaoyu back to a five-star hotel in the city; having been in Haishan for so long, Lin Dongfan had never considered buying a place there, and stayed at the hotel every day.

He outright rented the entire twelfth floor of the hotel, no outsiders allowed, to facilitate the bodyguards' patrol.

Zhengtong Capital's financial director, Yu Youwei.

She also lives here.

It was past ten o'clock at night.

Yu Youwei, wearing a sexy nightgown, pushed open Lin Dongfan's door and saw him fuming on the phone: "What capital do you have to threaten me? Don't think that just because you had a son I won't arrest you—don't forget you're a fugitive! If you don't know when to advance or retreat, I'll eventually have you arrested and brought to trial!"

This scene of raging anger left Yu Youwei's expression darkly startled.

Just hearing it, one could tell it was definitely a call from Yin Qiuhong.

Yin Qiuhong, who had fled overseas, initially kept a low profile, never contacting anyone domestically. But after she gave birth to a son, she became full of herself, even fantasizing about returning to the country under a new identity.

She repeatedly contacted Lin Dongfan, hoping he would pave the way for her return to the country.

This wasn't the first time she had provoked Lin Dongfan.

Yu Youwei didn't dare say much more; after entering the room, she poured Lin Dongfan a cup of tea. After he hung up the phone, she handed him the tea: "Calm down."

"Go back to your own room!"

Lin Dongfan took the tea, turned and walked to the windowsill, looking down at the outside world of shimmering desire, his lingering anger hard to dispel.

Faced with his cold background, Yu Youwei dared not say another word.

As she left in dejection, she casually closed the door gently behind her.

Soon after, a few rapid "dong dong" knocks came—urgent knocking on the door—and Lin Dongfan, impatient, shouted back: "Don't bother me!"

In the next second, the door was shoved open.

Lao Ba strode in, his face tight with tension: 'Brother Fan, Liu Wei's dead…'

Names: Lao Ba, Brother Fan.

Also Liu Wei: person's name. Use pinyin: Liu Wei.

What did you say?!

Lin Dongfan turned around in shock, staring coldly at Lao Ba.

Names: Lin Dongfan - given in glossary as Lin Dongfan. Lao Ba - given as Lao Ba.

Lao Ba grimly replied: 'Just now, Chen Shaokang from the Old Dock Police Station called, saying the boat at the little fisherman's home was burned, and Liu Wei was hacked to death.'

Names: Lao Ba, Chen Shaokang - given as Chen Shaokang. Xiao Yu Jia. We'll decide. Liu Wei again.

「！！！」 (no names)

Lin Dongfan painfully closed his eyes.

Names: Lin Dongfan

After Along silence, he finally spoke: 'Besides Liu Wu, who was sent to protect Zhang Yinlan, how many bodyguards do we have here?'

Names: Zhang Yinlan - given as Zhang Yinlan. Liu Wu - person's name.

'Including me, there are three.' Lao Ba replied: 'The other two brothers just arrived a few days ago; they normally guard Yu Youwei, and now they're stationed at the stairwell.'

Names: Lao Ba, Yu Youwei - person's name.

'Are you confident you can handle the Dragon Palace Banquet alone?' Lin Dongfan stared into Lao Ba's eyes.

Names: Dragon Palace Banquet (Long Gong Yan? Actually "Dragon Palace Banquet"? Might be an event name. Could be a place? "Dragon Palace Banquet" likely "Dragon Palace Banquet". It's a proper noun event/place. According to rules: meaningful place names translate. So we should translate: "Dragon Palace Banquet". Or maybe "Dragon Palace Feast". We'll decide later. Also Lin Dongfan, Lao Ba.

Lao Ba furrowed his brow dismissively: 'If I go alone, I'm sure to get out unscathed. If you come with me, my confidence drops to sixty percent.'

Names: Lao Ba. Also maybe "you" refers to Lin Dongfan but not a name.

As his words fell, it felt like an invisible arrow pierced Lin Dongfan's heart with a soft thud.

Names: Lin Dongfan

Lin Dongfan felt a vein pop on his forehead: 'I can take on ten opponents single‑handed, so why am I just a burden here?'

Names: Lin Dongfan

'Liu Wei was stronger than you, yet he still got hacked to death, right?'

Names: Liu Wei

Lao Ba never beats around the bush when he speaks.

Names: Lao Ba

He paused, then drove straight into Lin Dongfan's weak spot: 'They outnumber us; you can't hold them off. If you go, I'll have to split my attention to protect you. If you don't go, I can go all out.'

Names: Lin Dongfan. Also "he" refers to Lao Ba? Actually the subject is Lao Ba speaking. So "he" is Lao Ba. Not a separate name.

Fine, I won't hold you back. Lin Dongfan stepped forward and patted Lao Ba on the shoulder: "I'll watch the show from the carriage; tonight, I will make Zheng Canghai have no descendants."