Chapter 279: The Qiao Family Is Your Backing
"Benefit from misfortune?" Zhang Yang almost spat blood. Damn it—he was promised timely support, and instead he fought all the Green Group killers of Spade Eight alone. If Pan Ningning hadn't arrived in time, he'd be dead. And he still had the nerve to call it benefiting from misfortune.
"Yes, but I can't explain clearly over the phone. You're still at the hospital, right? I'll head over soon." Ao Tian's tone was proud, completely unaware of Zhang Yang's raging anger.
"No, don't come!" Zhang Yang said, face aching. If he came, wouldn't he dig out Meixin's matter?
"Why?"
Ao Tian sounded shocked, like a pampered maiden ready to marry, only to be kicked off the bridal sedan at the last second.
"You're carrying bad luck…"
"Pah! Kid, you've grown bold. Dare talk to me like that? I admit today's matter was mishandled. My fault. But aren't you alive and well? All limbs intact."
"And Pan Ningning? You men actually let a delicate girl fight a whole group of killers alone?"
Ao Tian went silent a moment, then replied, "That surprised me too. With the situation then—you must know, I only had seven or eight people. But the ambush had over twenty trained, battle-hardened soldiers. I didn't expect her to break in alone."
"So, I'm going this time also to check on her… Right, didn't one of your people get injured too? How is it?"
Damn, he had to ask the one thing Zhang Yang didn't want to address. Zhang Yang's face darkened. "It's fine, not serious. Anyway, you said there's something important? Say it."
"Not convenient on the phone. I'll tell you at the hospital."
Zhang Yang checked the time. By the time that guy arrived, Lulu and the others should also be here. If necessary, he'd have to move early.
He absolutely couldn't let him know he hid Meixin. Of course, he knew this could only be hidden for a while, not forever.
But once she entered the villa, nothing would matter anymore.
After hanging up, Zhang Yang noticed a missed call. Seeing the caller ID, he was shocked—Qiao Yunfeng, his future father-in-law.
Zhang Yang didn't dare delay and quickly called back.
"I heard what happened. Are you alright?" General Qiao's tone was calm, like an elder concerned for a younger.
"I'm fine. If not for Lieutenant Pan you sent, I would've died…"
"I heard Ningning was seriously injured. These people are truly lawless. Xia Yong briefed me on the situation. But this matter involves too much—we can't tell the media yet. But I can promise you, whatever we lost today, we will reclaim double."
"Zhang Yang…"
Qiao Yunfeng paused, then continued calmly, "Remember this. From now on, whatever you do is as if the Qiao family is doing it."
Zhang Yang froze, then realized what his future father-in-law meant—whatever he did represented the Qiao family.
In other words, they already saw him as one of them—they accepted him and Qiao Xier.
The Qiao family… Even if not the absolute top in Huaxia, who would dare touch them? Just like how the U.S. and Huaxia might differ in overall power, but both hold devastating trump cards—no one would dare fight to the death.
With the Qiao family's support, forget Meining City—even the entire Southeast Province, no one would dare touch him.
So even though it was just one sentence, it was enough to excite Zhang Yang. More importantly, it implied no one in the Qiao family would oppose him and Qiao Xier anymore.
"That's all for now, I'm hanging up!" Qiao Yunfeng glanced at his wife Ye Jing, who was cracking her fingers angrily, and hung up quickly.
"Husband, what was that?"
"A toad yawning—what a big breath. What do you mean 'what you do is what the Qiao family does'? If the old man hears that, he'll skin you alive." Ye Jing, wearing a nearly transparent lace robe, glared at him before sitting at the bed with her voluptuous chest swaying. She grabbed a magazine—damn it, a porn magazine.
The couple was currently in a standard room at Meining Huichen Hotel. Two glasses of wine and snacks were on the bedside table. They planned to celebrate their wedding anniversary and secretly monitor their daughter and that flirtatious scientist boy's relationship progress.
Yet she had just learned that her daughter's sweetheart risked his life, acted as bait to lure a killer group, and ended up dragging out a whole mercenary unit too—nearly dying.
And what angered her most—Qiao Yunfeng seemed to know the whole story. In Ye Jing's eyes, he was clearly involved. Especially when she heard Pan Ningning's name, her rage exploded.
Poor Pan Ningning—an orphan whose adoptive father died in a car accident. When Qiao Yunfeng brought her home, she was already very independent. A fourteen-year-old doing everything alone. Her biggest issue was being withdrawn, refusing crowds. Since high school she lived alone, spending only three New Year's at the Qiao home in ten years.
In recent years, Ye Jing finally realized that the once skinny dark girl had become a stunning young lady—and a military intelligence agent.
A delicate girl becoming an agent—Ye Jing scolded Qiao Yunfeng countless times. That child suffered too much. Compared to their own daughter, the difference was heaven and earth.
Only recently, after hearing she saved Zhang Yang and Qiao Xier, did her dissatisfaction ease slightly—but she still kept complaining.
She begged Qiao Yunfeng to get Pan Ningning to retire early, but he always pretended not to hear.
And today, hearing Pan Ningning nearly died saving Zhang Yang, she kicked Qiao Yunfeng off the bed.
"Old Qiao, Ningning grew up under my watch. After this, find a way—she is NOT doing this dangerous job anymore."
"Wife, that's easy for you to say. You think the Intelligence Bureau belongs to our Qiao family? And I told her countless times to retire. But that kid was born for this work. She listens to me on everything except this. Getting her to retire is basically impossible."
"Even so, think of a way. Let her live with Qiao Qiao, don't send her on outdoor missions. Only then I'll be at ease."
"Hm. I'll consider it." Qiao Yunfeng replied vaguely, then continued, "Speaking of Qiao Qiao, the old man seems more and more concerned about her lately. The words I told Zhang Yang earlier—they were actually from the old man. So no, he won't skin me alive."
"Really?" Ye Jing brightened. If the old man approved, then the obstacles between Qiao Xier and Zhang Yang were gone.
Her biggest fear was the old man's objection. Now that he approved, her daughter and Zhang Yang finally had a chance.
"Truer than true." Qiao Yunfeng said while lifting her lace robe, "Wife, how can you be forty and still this firm… never been to the Bang Kingdom, right?"
"Get lost, you have no shame!"
Through the SICU's glass, looking at Pan Ningning lying quietly in bed surrounded by monitors, Zhang Yang suddenly felt suffocated. When bandaging her, he didn't feel she was so fragile. But now, seeing her lying alone, he felt a sting of sorrow.
He owed her.
"What, feeling guilty?" Tang Qiqi had walked over without him noticing, standing beside him, also looking into the SICU.
Zhang Yang didn't look at her. His hands were in his pockets—they'd been freezing him for half a day.
"Feeling better?" Zhang Yang avoided her question, glancing at her arm where she had given 400cc of blood. Not much, but Tang Qiqi fainted at needles—how did she become a killer who used throwing knives?
"Recovered long ago!" Tang Qiqi replied unhappily.
"Oh." Zhang Yang glanced at the clock, then said calmly, "Let's go."
"Go where?" Tang Qiqi pursed her lips. This guy was speaking nonsense again.
"Wu Village."
"Now?" Tang Qiqi frowned. "But there's still so much happening here."
"You go yourself!" Zhang Yang rubbed his lips. "I can't go."
"Aren't you afraid I'll run away?" Tang Qiqi asked in surprise.
Zhang Yang looked at her and said lightly, "Lao Yi and the others will follow you."
"They're no match for me."
"They're not following to stop you. They're helping you load and unload cargo."
Tang Qiqi gritted her teeth. "Fine! But don't regret it!"
"Come back before New Year's Eve. We can still have dinner together."
Tang Qiqi glared fiercely at him. "Take good care of her."
Obviously she meant Pan Ningning.
Zhang Yang watched her leave, then glanced at Pan Ningning in the room and whispered, "You two… I'll take good care of both of you."
His phone rang again. He didn't know whether Ao Tian arrived first or Lulu and the others.