The Way of Restraint

Chapter 126: Fortune and Disaster Hang by a Thread

At that moment, Zhang Jinchuan also began to deliberately observe.

He strolled around, taking the chance to carefully size up each passenger, but he found nothing unusual. It all seemed normal.

“Foreigners’ faces are different from ours. The records in physiognomy might be incomplete; we’d need a large dataset of foreigners to fill the gaps.” After a quick sweep, Zhang Jinchuan spread his hands helplessly. His physiognomy skills were stronger than Su Jie’s, but still far from flawless.

“What are you two doing?” Their movements caught Zhang Manman’s attention.

“Su Jie thinks something feels wrong. He asked me to see if any of the passengers might be terrorists.” Zhang Jinchuan said, “But I didn’t notice anything.”

“It’s not even that I feel something’s wrong. It was just a sudden thought. Normally, this trip has gone relatively smoothly, and once we’re back home, we’d be safe. But this is the last hurdle.” Su Jie said, “I’m not sure—maybe I’m just overthinking it.”

“A thought like that must have a reason.” Zhang Manman instantly became alert. “You two both know physiognomy—can’t you see anything?”

“Nothing at all,” Zhang Jinchuan shook his head.

“Then let’s get off this plane,” Zhang Manman said. “Change our itinerary. Or report it and have the plane re-checked.”

“That’s not necessary, is it?” Zhang Jinchuan thought she was joking. “Maybe Su Jie’s just being paranoid. Everyone gets thoughts like that. I often think about car accidents when I’m out driving, but nothing ever happens. Usually, disaster strikes when you least expect it. If you’re mentally prepared, it might not come at all.”

He was describing a psychological phenomenon.

“There’s also Murphy’s Law—the more you worry about something, the more likely it is to happen.” Su Jie analyzed his sudden thought. “But we’ve already boarded the plane. We can’t exactly get off now.”

“It’s fine.” Zhang Manman said, “Both Master Roma and Master Luo saw something special in you, so you must have some hidden luck. I’ll go speak to the stewardess.” She stood up, walked over, and whispered a few words in English.

The stewardess conversed with her at length, then nodded.

Sure enough, before long, a group of police boarded the plane for another security check.

But the first people they inspected were Su Jie, Zhang Jinchuan, and Zhang Manman.

After thoroughly checking the three and finding nothing, they moved on to the others and even unloaded all the luggage for re-inspection.

The passengers grew nervous seeing this.

But again, nothing turned up.

Then, an officer gave a brief order to his subordinate.

Soon, a police dog was brought on board.

The dog sniffed around, then suddenly lunged at an inconspicuous woman, barking furiously and nearly attacking her.

“Don’t move!” Several officers instantly drew their guns and aimed at her.

The woman, however, suddenly grabbed a nearby passenger and twisted his neck. She wore a ring, and from it sprang razor-sharp blades—something the security checks had completely missed.

Shhht! Shhht!

But before she could act, the police fired their tasers. The electrodes shot into her body, and she convulsed violently before collapsing unconscious with the hostage.

It all happened in an instant—fast, decisive, leaving Su Jie and Zhang Jinchuan stunned.

“That’s how the police operate abroad. Especially here—taking hostages is useless. Sometimes they’ll even kill the hostage along with the criminal.” Zhang Manman was unfazed. “But Su Jie, you really are a lucky star. If not for you, things could’ve ended badly. I took a risk too—if nothing had been found, I’d probably have ended up in detention. Luckily my dad has connections with airport security, or they never would’ve brought a dog aboard.”

“I can’t believe there really was a terrorist. Was it truly my sixth sense… or just coincidence?” Even Su Jie was shocked.

“Incredible.” Zhang Jinchuan gave him a thumbs-up. “I thought once she grabbed a hostage, there’d be a standoff and we’d have a chance to shine. I didn’t expect the police to be so ruthless, not even caring about the hostage.”

“That’s how it always goes in stories: hijackers on a plane, the protagonist fights them off, rescues everyone, and wins the girl’s admiration.” Su Jie laughed, feeling genuine relief for the first time.

“You two are worse than a dog,” Zhang Manman said. “And you call yourselves students of Masters Roma and Luo?”

“The police dog was definitely sharper than us.” Su Jie had to admit.

Zhang Jinchuan had no comeback.

After all this, the flight was delayed two hours—but they gained peace of mind.

More than ten hours later, after multiple transfers, Su Jie finally landed safely at B City’s airport that evening.

He didn’t linger. He immediately bought a ticket to S City and rushed back overnight.

Zhang Manman and Zhang Jinchuan stayed in B City to handle follow-up matters.

This trip abroad to a war-torn region hadn’t exactly been life-or-death, but it had been full of danger. Su Jie hadn’t gained a cent, but he didn’t care. He needed time to quietly reflect on how the experience had toughened his mentality.

He’d been away long enough. Now it was time to return to school and prepare for the college entrance exams—that was his real priority.

Not that the exam itself worried him, but he still had to decide which university to attend.

Boarding the flight from B City to S City, Su Jie finally relaxed. Traveling abroad had shown him that home was where true peace lay, where he could actually sleep soundly.

He bought a first-class ticket, reclined in the spacious seat, and pulled out his brick-like AI learning device. Plugging in the USB drive Odell had given him, he was ready to study the “Space Step.”

This footwork was as swift and elusive as a phantom—an illusion of weightlessness. It looked like moving forward but was actually retreating; looked like retreating, yet advanced instead. It was clearly one of Odell’s latest creations, and extremely difficult.

Just as Su Jie was about to start the video, a waft of perfume brushed past him. A tall woman in professional attire—a sharp-looking elite—sat down beside him, as if fresh from a high-stakes negotiation.

“So it’s you?” she spoke first.

Su Jie had already recognized her: Li Xiaozhen.

Last time, when she was drunk, he had rescued her and taken her home, and that was the end of it.

Later, while reading about Haoyu Group’s acquisition of the Xu family, he saw that she was the one leading the negotiations. In life, she was a mess who couldn’t clean her house; in business, she was sharp, precise, and a formidable opponent.

Feng Yuxuan had two key women under him: one outward-facing—Li Xiaozhen; and one inward-facing—Tang Tian, who gathered intelligence, managed departments, and monitored employees.

It was said that Haoyu Group had three powerful career women: Li Xiaozhen, Tang Tian, and Fang Jia.

Li Xiaozhen and Tang Tian worked for Feng Yuxuan, while Fang Jia worked for Feng Qianzang.

“So it’s you.” Su Jie didn’t even sit up, replying lazily.

“I really underestimated you.” Li Xiaozhen stared at him as if flowers bloomed on his face. “You actually handled the Xu family’s seized goods overseas without a word. Thanks to you, I not only failed to complete the acquisition but cost my company money. Tell me—how are you going to compensate me?”

“Those who commit too many wrongs will bring about their own downfall,” Su Jie said without looking at her. “I think you should leave Haoyu. You don’t need the money, so why help criminals and play the accomplice?”

“Criminals? With just that statement, I could sue you for slander.” Li Xiaozhen’s expression cooled. “I’ve already looked into you. Your sister still works at Haoyu. Are you calling her a criminal too?”

“Don’t let me find out you caused my sister’s company to go bankrupt.” Su Jie’s tone stayed calm. “I saved you once, and instead of being grateful, you used me as a shield against Xu Jiahong. I let it slide, but make no mistake—Feng’s family taking this loss marks the beginning of their decline.”

“Then I’ll wait and see.” Li Xiaozhen replied. “Haoyu’s strength is beyond your comprehension. This small setback is just a step back to advance further. And don’t even think about convincing your sister to jump ship—her contract binds her to Haoyu for life.”

“Threats won’t work.” Su Jie laughed.

Before, he might’ve gotten angry. But after facing bullets abroad, this seemed like child’s play. “That so-called strength is just Feng Yuxuan’s ties to international crime syndicates. Evil never triumphs. We captured one of their men—‘Starving Wolf’—and handed him to Interpol. It’s only a matter of time before they uncover Feng Yuxuan’s crimes. When Interpol knocks on your door, we’ll see if you’re still so confident. You probably don’t even know the half of it—like how Feng Yuxuan used drones armed with guns to try to kill me. That’s straight out of a movie. Ever seen that in real life?”

“Are you serious?” Li Xiaozhen’s face darkened as she tried to argue. “Feng Yuxuan colluding with international criminals?”

“Use your brain.” Su Jie said. “The Xu family stumbles, and immediately Feng’s people step in, with armed forces seizing their goods. You don’t think that’s suspicious? You’re clever, but not foolish enough to wade into outright crime. Walk away before you get dragged down and end up in prison.”

“I don’t know if what you say is true or not.” Li Xiaozhen hesitated. “But I’ll investigate. If it’s real, I’ll leave Haoyu immediately. I may push limits in business, but never into crime.”

“Good.” Su Jie knew she was just a capable businesswoman, not someone who’d dare mix with international criminals. Anyone with sense could see it was a powder keg.

If she refused to listen, she’d eventually pay the price.

Since Li Xiaozhen was beside him, Su Jie didn’t feel like studying Odell’s video anymore. He closed his computer and rested his eyes.

Li Xiaozhen busied herself on her own laptop, digging for information.

The plane took off smoothly, and two hours later they landed in S City without even turbulence.

“Nothing feels better than home.”

After disembarking, Su Jie stretched, breathing in the fresh air. It was spring turning into summer. A fine drizzle fell, with a chill in the air.

It was already April, but the cold lingered.

“How about I give you a ride? I’ve got a driver—it’s on the way.” Li Xiaozhen came over.

“No need,” Su Jie said. “I booked a ride through an app. It’s a high-end business car. Only two hundred yuan, and the service beats your driver’s.”

Sure enough, outside the exit, a high-end business van pulled up. The driver, wearing white gloves, opened the door, loaded Su Jie’s luggage, and closed it behind him.

Li Xiaozhen could only watch as Su Jie disappeared into the distance.