He quickly called the front desk.
Fortunately, after asking, Yan Zhao's pillow was still there.
However, it was reported that people from the Municipal Public Security Bureau had come to allocate rooms, and someone had taken it while cleaning the rooms.
Because there was a meeting early tomorrow morning, the rooms here were booked by the Municipal Public Security Bureau today.
The rooms were also being inspected by people from the bureau.
After further inquiry, the front desk found out that the pillow seemed to have been taken by someone staying in room 306.
The front desk suggested he go to room 306 to ask about it.
A group of young "high-ranking officials' children" - it was meant to be just a small prank, but now, for Yan Zhao, it had become more important than tomorrow's press conference. He needed to call Little Wang first because circumstances had changed. If they kept to Little Wang's current scheduled time, those kids wouldn't arrive until eight or nine tomorrow night.
By eight or nine in the evening, elderly leaders like Chao Commander wouldn't be able to stay that late and would certainly leave early.
The karaoke room wouldn't open until two or three in the afternoon - this wouldn't work. Yan Zhao planned to allocate some money to Little Wang to invite those youngsters for lunch. Getting those little rascals together at lunchtime would allow Chao Commander and Gu Xiao to see them and handle this matter decisively.
"Little Wang, there's about three thousand yuan in Dad's suitcase, you can take it first..." Yan Zhao had barely finished speaking when Little Wang interrupted his father: "No way, Dad, you've been abroad for so long and only saved three thousand yuan? Don't worry, I have money, more than you do."
Yan Zhao turned to look at Chen Meilan, still puzzled about how his eldest son always seemed to have more money than him.
After arranging this matter, it was time to look for the pillow.
Yan Zhao suggested that Chen Meilan take a shower and rest first, while he would go find the pillow himself.
But Chen Meilan said, "Let's go together."
They had been married for many years, but due to Yan Zhao's work and fears of attracting people seeking favors, they rarely went out together. Activities like shopping or dining out together were almost non-existent.
Even when they did go out, they would walk one in front of the other, pretending not to know each other.
However, in this hotel today, where everyone was from the public security system, there was no problem even holding hands. Chen Meilan not only went with Yan Zhao to retrieve the pillow but also held his hand.
Being held by his wife's hand, Yan Zhao suddenly felt like he was eighteen again.
Of course, before knocking on the door of room 306, he let go of Chen Meilan's hand.
The door was opened by a man in his early forties, tall and strong, with a rather honest-looking face. Upon opening the door and making eye contact with Yan Zhao, his eyes immediately widened with anger, and he spread his arms: "Yan Zhao, damn, is that you? Haven't seen you in ages!"
Yan Zhao hugged him back briefly, then said to Chen Meilan: "This is Deputy Director Wang from the municipal bureau, Wang Xudong, my former superior."
Deputy Director Wang, Wang Xudong, was the deputy director of the Municipal Public Security Bureau in Jing City. Because his wife had given birth to a daughter, and he believed daughters couldn't inherit the family business or continue the bloodline, he had sent his daughter to study at an out-of-town university, creating a vacancy in the household registration, and then transferred his nephew into his family.
Both Gu Xiao and Yan Zhao suspected he was connected to international waste smuggling.
In Chen Meilan's imagination, he should have been a vicious, evil person with a demonic face.
But he didn't look like that at all. He appeared to be in his early forties, tall and strong, with dignified features - a very typical honest-looking man from old Shaanxi.
After hugging Yan Zhao firmly, he said: "It's been seven or eight years since we parted on the battlefield, this is really damn good! Now that you've been promoted to the capital, we'll be working together."
"Yes," Yan Zhao replied.
Wang Xudong enthusiastically said: "Come in and sit for a while, we haven't seen each other for so long, let's have a good chat."
Earlier in his room, Yan Zhao had already called Little Wang.
He had asked him to bring those kids over tomorrow at noon.
Among those kids, there was one called Wang Qi who bragged about being Deputy Director Wang's nephew. Liu Jingjing had confirmed this, so Yan Zhao was pretty certain that if anyone in the capital's public security system was crossing policy red lines,
it had to be Deputy Director Wang Xudong.
If they hadn't run into each other, he wouldn't have asked, but since they had, Yan Zhao had to ask: "By the way, Director Wang, do you have a nephew named Wang Qi? A skinny kid, quite short?" The kid's nickname was "Skinny Monkey," naturally because he was thin and short.
At the mention of Wang Qi, Wang Xudong immediately smiled: "Yes, that's my nephew, what about him?"
"He's a good kid, my son said he met him outside," Yan Zhao said.
Speaking of his nephew, Wang Xudong put his hands on his hips and sighed: "My boy, well, he doesn't really like studying, but he's a good kid, very popular, has lots of friends in the capital, more than I do."
"When he's out playing, you don't really supervise him much, do you?" Yan Zhao asked further.
Wang Xudong smiled and said: "He's the only heir to carry on our Wang family name, so everyone naturally spoils him a bit. The kid doesn't have any major problems, he just likes to play and his studies are average. I often advise his father to be stricter with him, but since he's the family's only heir, well, everyone just indulges him."
So this Deputy Director Wang indeed doted on his nephew.
But this kind of love and indulgence was probably the biggest problem in spoiling the child.
Yan Zhao had already been pretty sure in his heart that among those "high-ranking officials' children," if any of them was genuine, it would probably be from Wang Xudong's family, and now hearing Wang Xudong speak like this, he was certain in his heart.
Therefore, the news of Gu Xiao's return to the country must have also spread from Wang Xudong.
Wang Xudong was Yan Zhao's former leader and superior, they had shed blood and fought for their lives together on the battlefield. Although they rarely met nowadays, having fought together on the battlefield made them closer than brothers.
Of course, this also helped Yan Zhao understand Wang Xudong well. Among his four brothers, he was the only official; the others were all in business.
As a person from a rural background in Shaanxi, Wang Xudong had both a traditional preference for sons over daughters and a family clan mentality that made him want to be the family patriarch, leading the whole family to prosperity. This mentality would lead him to disregard national policies, pull some strings below, and leverage relationships with his comrades to help his brothers make money.
And his brothers were the ones involved in the international waste business along with Hu Baiye.
The international waste included medical waste, electronic waste, and most chillingly, nuclear waste, which was not only radioactive but also had extremely strong radiation hazards. Without professional treatment, it could cause harm for hundreds of years.
The current explicit policy of Hua Country's Public Security Department was that anyone involved in international waste smuggling would be removed from office.
There was no room for compromise.
Since that was the case, Yan Zhao didn't say much more to Wang Xudong. He had already spotted his buckwheat pillow on the bed, so he said: "Director Wang, that's my pillow."
Wang Xudong turned around to look at the buckwheat pillow on the bed.
He immediately smiled again: "Yours? I saw this pillow when I passed by today, buckwheat, what a treasure! Much more comfortable than the hotel's soft pillows. We Shaanxi people love buckwheat pillows, why don't you let me have it?"
Chen Meilan was almost in tears - that was the pillow she sat on, and this Director Wang was really something, how could he dare to put just any pillow under his head?
"I can't sleep well with soft pillows either, please return it to me," Yan Zhao said.
Wang Xudong was quite generous, grinning as he said: "Yan Zhao, I'm your former superior, it's just a pillow, and we're leaving at three in the morning, with meetings all day tomorrow. You're younger than me, why can't you let me use it to get a good night's sleep?"
"I'm still dealing with jet lag, I've been having insomnia these past few days, you'd better give it back to me," Yan Zhao said.
Upon hearing about Yan Zhao's insomnia, Deputy Director Wang immediately brought out the pillow: "Alright, alright, I'll give it to you. You're going to be on TV early tomorrow morning, you definitely need to rest well."
Finally, they got the pillow back.
However, Yan Zhao's mood must have been quite heavy.
Because this Deputy Director Wang Xudong didn't seem to be a bad person himself.
Hu Baiye must have corrupted his brothers.
And the bridge between his brothers, Hu Baiye, and himself was his boastful nephew.
It's quite possible that he didn't even know about his brothers' corruption and money-making schemes using his name.
But just by being associated with international waste materials, the future he had fought so hard for on the battlefield would be ruined.
Yan Zhao was ruthless enough - tomorrow, when those young privileged officials' children gather, he planned to metaphorically skin Wang Xudong alive, though he showed no sign of it outwardly.
In a moment, the two of them entered the elevator.
Once inside, Yan Zhao let out a deep sigh. Just as he was about to say something to Chen Meilan, the elevator stopped after one floor, and coincidentally, Liu Jingjing entered with a young man. Both were in police uniforms, walking and chatting cheerfully.
"Dark-faced Uncle?" Liu Jingjing was startled upon seeing Yan Zhao.
The young man followed Liu Jingjing's lead and called out: "Dark... Hello Uncle." But when he took a closer look, he was shocked to realize this was the current commander of the International Peacekeeping Police Force.
Soon to take up his new position as the head of the Public Security Department's Investigation Bureau - though only a division-level leader, he would be in the Public Security Department, in one of the most powerful divisions.
In the future, someone like Yan Zhao could become the Minister of Public Security.
How could he call him "Dark Uncle"? Did he have a death wish?
The young man immediately stood at attention and saluted: "Report, Commander Yan, I'm Officer Qi Zheng from our city's police force."
Yan Zhao returned the salute and said, "At ease, dismissed."
The young man lowered his hand and stood properly.
Chen Meilan secretly guessed that this young man must be Liu Jingjing's boyfriend. Looking him over carefully, in his police uniform, the young man had well-defined features - a proper nose, bright eyes, and strong eyebrows - quite handsome and fitting Liu Jingjing's taste for good-looking men. She hoped Liu Jingjing wouldn't cause any more trouble and would settle down with this young man.
Four people stood in the elevator, with Liu Jingjing's face being the reddest, and she kept stealing glances at Yan Zhao.
Her glances drew Yan Zhao's attention.
He asked Liu Jingjing: "What are you doing here?"
"There's a big meeting at the department tomorrow. We came overnight to work on setting up the venue," Liu Jingjing replied.
There was a large red mark on her neck. Yan Zhao, having been placed in an uncle's position by Liu Jingjing's form of address, pointed at the mark and asked: "What happened here? Who hit you?"
The mark was so red it looked like someone had struck her.
The young man's face immediately turned red, and he quickly turned his head away.
Liu Jingjing saw the red mark on her neck in the elevator mirror and covered it with her hand, saying: "Who would dare hit me? Dark-faced Uncle, what are you saying? It's just a mosquito bite."
This was clearly a lie - how could there be mosquitoes in the dead of winter?
Just as Yan Zhao was about to object, Chen Meilan pulled at him and gave him a warning look, signaling him to stop asking questions.
The elevator stopped at the ninth floor conference hall, and Liu Jingjing and the young man practically fled.
Yan Zhao turned to Chen Meilan and said: "Liu Jingjing seems to have been hit by someone, because a mosquito couldn't possibly make a mark like that."
Let alone the fact that there were no mosquitoes in winter, even if there were, could they leave such a round mark?
It was round, red, and still bleeding slightly.
Chen Meilan gave Yan Zhao a look but didn't say anything, entering the room to shower first.
After she finished and Yan Zhao had also showered, she asked him: "Mr. Police Officer Yan, have you really never heard of love bites or hickeys?"
"What love bites and hickeys?" Yan Zhao asked back.
How could Chen Meilan explain this?
In these times, people were just beginning to become sexually aware. Things like love bites and hickeys were imported concepts from abroad that only young people understood. Older men like Yan Zhao genuinely didn't know about them.
Actions speak louder than words, so Chen Meilan suddenly rolled on top of him, looking from his head to his neck. These spots wouldn't work - too dark, the effect wouldn't be obvious.
Her gaze fell on Yan Zhao's snow-white chest, and she lowered her head.
Yan Zhao's hands were initially spread out, then slowly clenched, but that wasn't enough. He grabbed the bedsheet, and after quite a while, like someone who had just been pulled from drowning, took a deep breath, exhaled, and looked at his wife in astonishment.
Chen Meilan pointed at the large hickey on his milk-white chest and said: "Now do you understand what this is?"
There was a red mark on Yan Zhao's chest identical to the one on Liu Jingjing's neck.
Initially red, it gradually became so dark it looked like it might bleed.
No wonder Liu Jingjing had been so embarrassed earlier and tried to cover it up - it wasn't from being hit.
It was from being kissed.
Though Commander Liu had retired, he maintained strict family rules and wouldn't let Liu Jingjing stay out overnight, but working overtime at the department was different. Yan Zhao finally realized that the young man from earlier must be Liu Jingjing's boyfriend, and they had been kissing, which left the mark on Liu Jingjing's neck.
No wonder Liu Jingjing's face had been so red.
He had to admit, though, that getting a hickey felt quite nice.
But he still wondered how Chen Meilan knew about these things.
From Yan Xishan to Lu Jingyu, it would be a lie to say he didn't have some suspicions, but Yan Zhao didn't dare think too much about it.
Rolling over, he took the dominant position, looked for a long while, then suddenly turned off the light.
"Let me give you some hickeys too?" he suggested.
"Oh no, not on the neck, I have to see people tomorrow!" Chen Meilan exclaimed.
...
That night, Yan Zhao left at 2 AM.
At 3 AM, the peacekeeping police landed, and by 4 AM they were checked into the hotel. They would only get a brief rest before breakfast, followed by work report meetings, press conferences - they had a full day ahead.
Because the hotel bed was too comfortable, Chen Meilan had trouble sleeping, and when she opened her eyes in the morning, it was already almost noon. Today, Yan Zhao had said Little Wang would bring those privileged officials' children to the guest house for a meal.
When the Public Security Department held meetings, they didn't impose strict security measures in the capital unless national-level leaders were present.
So if Little Wang really managed to gather those imposters, they could get in.
Moreover, at noon, several important leaders from the Public Security Department and the Military Commission would be there, dining with the peacekeeping police and reporters. So the timing would work out for a meeting, but had Little Wang come? Was he alone, or had he brought Little Wolf and Yuan Yuan with him?
Upon waking, Chen Meilan needed to make a phone call home to check on the situation.
Yuan Yuan answered the phone, saying that Little Wang, Little Wolf, and John had left, and she was at home with Qi Songlu and Little Beibei. She also mentioned that Little Wang had left at nine in the morning.
The children didn't have pagers or big brother mobile phones, making communication difficult, but seeing it was already noon, Chen Meilan prepared to go downstairs to the second-floor Chinese restaurant.
Today at noon, everyone from both major departments would be dining in the Chinese restaurant.
Chen Meilan wondered if Little Wang and Little Wolf bringing such a group of children to this kind of occasion might cause trouble.
But her worries were unnecessary. As Chen Meilan was brushing her teeth, someone knocked on the door. Opening it, she found a floor attendant who smiled and said: "Are you Chen Meilan? A police officer just said that when you wake up, you should go to the second-floor coffee shop, someone's waiting for you there."
After brushing her teeth, since she wasn't going out, she didn't put on an overcoat. Chen Meilan took the elevator down to the second floor, heading toward the coffee shop.
At the elevator hall junction on the second floor, she ran into Yan Peiheng supporting Commander Chao, accompanied by several other senior leaders.
It was 1995, and Hua Country's police hadn't yet changed to new uniforms. Like the military officers, their dress uniforms were olive green, and today, everyone was wearing dress uniforms for the meeting.
There were more than a dozen people in the group, all at least department-level leaders, creating a sea of crisp green uniforms.
After finishing the morning meeting, they were about to have lunch here, heading to the restaurant during this break.
Commander Chao had been ill recently, and if not for the important occasion of the peacekeeping police's return, he probably wouldn't have left the hospital. Now Yan Peiheng was personally supporting him as they walked.
How quickly people age.
Three years ago, Commander Chao had been similar in build to Yan Peiheng, walking freely and able to engage in spirited conversation.
It was said that an air rifle could hit birds with perfect accuracy every time.
But in recent years, probably because his son, daughter-in-law, daughter, and son-in-law had successively lost their jobs, the old man had worried too much.
As a result, his health deteriorated quickly, and his hair had turned completely white.
However, an elderly person with white hair wearing a military uniform and decorated with medals looked truly magnificent.
Chen Meilan hurried a few steps to catch up with Yan Peiheng and called out, "Dad."
Yan Peiheng, who was chatting with Chao Commander about something, smiled and said, "Let's go. I heard that Little Wang has arranged to meet my grandson at the café. Let's go see where this grandson of mine came from."
Chao Commander also said, "I heard I have one too, though I don't even know him. Come on, let's go take a look."
A group of people behind them laughed together, including Wang Xudong, who was also chuckling.
He probably didn't even know that among them was his own nephew.
Well, it was like using a cannon to shoot mosquitoes - all these important figures were about to go see a bunch of young troublemakers who were causing mischief outside.
The VIP building's café was small, with only about a dozen tables, and there were almost no customers in the early afternoon.
At a glance, she understood why even Little Wang thought these were all imposters.
In fact, these kids were just like the typical street punks popular nowadays, with dyed yellow and green hair, wearing gold chains. Those who had pagers made sure to show them off, and those who didn't would wear electronic watches, pretending they were pagers.
Judging by their faces, these kids were at most fifteen or sixteen years old.
Feng Ha and a skinny boy who looked like a little monkey seemed to be the wealthiest among them.
Their gold chains were visibly genuine, and each had a large mobile phone attached to their waists.
Feng Ha was still just a child himself, with visible innocence on his face.
Once, he too was Yan Peiheng's grandson.
If it weren't for his father Feng Yu being worthless, and Mi Lan insisting on divorcing Yan Wei, this child, under Yan Wei's education, wouldn't have fallen to such a state. So when Chen Meilan saw Feng Ha, she felt quite uncomfortable and regretful.
However, this regret quickly vanished because just as Chen Meilan entered, young Feng Ha seemed dissatisfied and said to Little Wang, "Chen Dashing, this is too low-class. What's so special about coffee? We want a feast, we want to sing karaoke. I heard the VIP building has hostesses - get one for each of us."
Chen Dashing was the alias Little Wang had created for himself.
He, Little Wolf, and John, wearing old-style blue pocket school uniforms with crew cuts, sat among these fashionable young troublemakers like three chicks among a flock of cranes.
How old was Feng Ha? Fifteen? And he already knew about calling hostesses?
Chen Meilan's sympathy vanished instantly.
The other skinny boy, thin as a monkey, said, "Yeah, coffee isn't even as good as cola. My uncle is Deputy Director Wang from the city bureau. If your family wants to do business, I can easily drop some connections that would make your family rich. You invite me out just for coffee? Are you treating me like some Sunday entertainment?"
Little Wang, John, and Little Wolf were quite embarrassed. These kids loved to play around, and with one command, he had gathered them here since ten in the morning.
But his father had notified him at midnight to wait here, saying he would come after his meeting ended.
Yet even now, why hadn't his father appeared?
"Hurry up, Chen Dashing, we want a feast and karaoke. Don't tell me you're broke?" another kid said.
The monkey-like boy was the most impatient and dissatisfied, angrily saying, "Damn, we've run into someone who's both poor and pretentious. Let me tell you something without bragging - you know Hu Baiye? He's a big businessman doing major deals in Fujian and Xiamen ports. Just one call from me, and we can get any hostess we want, sing any karaoke we like. In the dance hall, we get the prettiest hostesses, drink the most expensive foreign liquor. Ever heard of Sprite mixed with XO? Add a cigar to that, and I'm living like a god. Who's ever seen such a stingy poor bastard like you, just offering coffee? I'm the kind who drinks Sprite, you're just an idiot!"
Sprite and idiot - the boy's insults even rhymed.
Though it was noon, the café was in a dark corner, so the lighting was particularly dim.
At this moment, Yan Peiheng, Minister Qi from the Public Security Department, Chao Commander, and several other senior leaders were standing at the café entrance, watching these young troublemakers.
The family reunion meeting was officially beginning.
Just then, Minister Qi from the Public Security Department narrowed his eyes and turned to Wang Xudong: "Old Wang, isn't that your nephew? The one you helped transfer the household registration for?"
Transferring household registration was a big deal. Since his daughter had already transferred out, Wang Xudong's operation wasn't illegal, but it still required his wife's and the minister's consent.
After all, without a capital city household registration, even with 600 points in the college entrance exam, you might not get into a capital city university, but with one, things could be different.
Wang Xudong looked over - that skinny little monkey was indeed his nephew.
Because of poor academic performance, his brothers had begged him to transfer his daughter's household registration out and transfer his nephew's in, so the nephew could easily get into university.
The same nephew who constantly promised to take care of him in his old age.
To transfer the household registration for him, Wang Xudong had fought bitterly with his wife, to the point where his daughter wouldn't even acknowledge him anymore.
He had always believed Wang Qi was the hope of the Wang family. So what if he liked to play a bit? What trouble could a kid get into? Going out for some barbecue, drinking some beer, that was nothing. Making some friends wasn't a big deal either. Kids will be kids, playing with other kids, nothing serious about that.
But listen to him now - not only did he know about mixing XO with Sprite, but he could also call hostesses at will and smoke cigars.
How much was a bottle of XO? How much did a hostess cost?
Meanwhile, his daughter at university in another city only had fifty yuan for monthly living expenses, and she still managed to save fifteen yuan from that.
