Spy wars start with lurking Secretary Hong

Chapter 560 Adopted a godson
Qian Bai's manic expression instantly turned into astonishment, respect, and fear, so much so that he couldn't even speak.

He felt a chill run from the soles of his feet straight up to the top of his head.

Hong Zhiyou!
Why is he here?

Li Xiong, who was standing to the side, cleverly took a few steps back, creating distance between himself and Qian Bai, and quietly put his gun back in its holster.

Qian Xiaocong shouted at Qian Bai in an annoyed tone:

"Dad, what's wrong with you? Go ahead and confront them! Their classmates are watching!"

"Snapped!"

"Get out! You have no right to speak here."

Qian Bai slapped his son across the face, and the chubby boy fell to the ground with a thud.

Qian Xiaocong covered his face and burst into tears.

Zhai Jiao asked with a curious look:
"Director Qian, how could you... how could you abort a child?"

Qian Bai glared at her and growled:
"Shut up, you too!"

After saying that, he turned his head, forced a smile that looked more like a grimace, and respectfully addressed Hong Zhiyou:

"Qian Bai greets Section Chief Hong and welcomes Section Chief Hong to Daowai for inspection."

Hong Zhi shook his head and sneered: "No, you are a second-level police commissioner, I can't accept such a courtesy."

He paused, his tone tinged with sarcasm:

"Am I just some Tom, Dick, or Harry?"

Qian Bai broke out in a cold sweat instantly, and he hunched over, hurriedly explaining:

"No, no!"

"Section Chief Hong, you must have misheard me. I said... I'm just a nobody, I am!"

He pointed to his own nose:
"You are a distinguished guest, aren't we just barking dogs and horses serving you?"

As he spoke, he shamelessly turned to Li Xiong and asked, a hint of pleading in his eyes:
"Do you think so?"

Li Xiong forced out an awkward smile, even uglier than Qian Bai's: "Yes, yes. We're all dogs and horses."

Hong Zhiyou's smile vanished:
"Alright, stop flattering me."

"I'm here today to grab red tickets."

Upon hearing the words "red ticket," beads of sweat appeared on Qian Bai's face.

He smiled broadly, trying again to ease the tension:

"Section Chief Hong, you must have misunderstood. This is a school; there are no red tickets here."

As he spoke, he lowered his head, took a few steps closer, and pleaded cautiously:
"Section Chief Hong, we're all family here. Can we talk in the office downstairs, or we can talk at the department headquarters?"

Hong Zhi smiled and looked at Lu Ming.

Lu Ming received the signal and raised an eyebrow, saying:

"Director Qian, we are all police officers, and it is our duty to uphold justice."

He shook the stack of red flyers in his hand, his tone unhurried yet carrying an undeniable firmness:
"It's best to talk things out face to face."

"Everyone present today, including Teacher Zhai, can testify that these items were found in your son's schoolbag."

"The evidence is conclusive. Please come with us to the Special Affairs Section."

Qian Bai glared at Lu Ming, his eyes filled with threat, but he dared not retaliate at the moment.

He stepped forward and walked to Hong Zhiyou's side, speaking in a humble tone:
"Brother Hong, if I've done anything wrong, I'll accept whatever punishment you want."

"Please enlighten me, my brother."

Hong Zhi's eyes were cold, devoid of any warmth.

"I've already said, I'm only here to grab red tickets today."

He smiled and continued:
"If you're innocent, you'll be released after being questioned at the police station."

He gritted his teeth and lowered his stance once again:
"Section Chief Hong, there are so many people here, please give me some face, I'm begging you."

Hong Zhi raised his voice a few octaves and looked at him coldly:
"Aren't you a dog or a horse?"
"What does a beast care about face?"

"If you don't want to go, I'll have Captain Takeda invite you to the military police headquarters for a talk."

Qian Bai shuddered. The military police—that was a more terrifying place than the police headquarters. Going there, even if you didn't die, you'd be lucky to escape with your life.

He waved his hand hastily, his face filled with terror:
No, no!

"I'll go!"

He glanced at Qian Xiaocong, who was still sobbing beside him, and pleaded again:

“It’s just my son, he’s still young. I hope Section Chief Hong can be lenient.”

Hong Zhiyou ignored him and simply gestured with his chin at Lu Ming.

Lu Ming immediately understood and shouted to Li Xiong:

"What are you waiting for, Section Chief Li? Cuff him."

Li Xiong and Qian Bai both looked at Hong Zhiyou.

Hong Zhi frowned slightly.

Li Xiong's heart skipped a beat. He quickly unfastened the handcuffs from his waist and walked up to Qian Bai:

"I'm sorry, Director."

Qian Bai pointed at Lu Ming, his eyes filled with resentment:

"Old Lu, you're something else, we'll see."

Lu Ming simply smiled, neither confirming nor denying.

Click.

Li Xiong handcuffed Qian Bai and pushed him outside.

The classroom fell silent instantly.

Qian Xiaocong stopped crying and stared blankly as his father was taken away. Zhai Jiao was also dumbfounded.

Hong Zhiyou strode to the podium, pulled out a chair, and sat down. He looked at Zhai Jiao, his handsome smile returning to his face:
"Teacher Zhai, come here."

Zhai Jiao, as if looking at a goddess, happily approached and flattered her:

"So you're the Boss Hong from Harbin after all this time. No wonder you're so impressive and handsome."

Hong Zhi smiled, his eyes turning cold as he looked at her: "Teacher Zhai, do you still think I'm stupid?"

Zhai Jiao let out a soft "Aiya!" in a voice so sweet it was almost cloying.
"Section Chief Hong, why are you still holding a grudge? It's their fault, isn't that enough?"

She twisted her body, trying to show off her charm.

Hong Zhi pointed to Qian Xiaocong's seat:

“Teacher Zhai, don’t you think it’s a bit of an eyesore that Qian Xiaocong is sitting in the first row?”
"How about we change his seat?"

Zhai Jiao immediately understood and nodded repeatedly:
Yes, it is a bit of an eyesore.

"How about you make the arrangements?"

Hong Zhi pointed to Sun Jiaqiao in the corner, "I think that spot is perfect for Qian Xiaocong, and it doesn't block the other students' view. What do you think?"

Upon hearing this, Qian Xiaocong became anxious and said angrily:

"I'm not sitting there! That's a garbage dump, a place for garbage people to sit!"

Lu Ming grabbed him, his eyes fierce, and said:

"Hey fatso, if you keep babbling on, I'll cut off your little pecker!"

Qian Xiaocong was so frightened that he shrank back and obediently shut his mouth.

Hong Zhiyou waved to Sun Jiaqiao in the corner again:

"come here."

Sun Jiaqiao walked over cautiously with his head down, his body trembling violently.

Hong Zhi raised his hand and gave him a flick on the forehead, then pulled him back, causing him to stumble. He then put his arm around the man's thin shoulder and said unhappily:
"Damn it, you little brat, why are you being so effeminate, like a soft dough ball?"

"Why do men always droop their heads? Lift your head up for me!"

Sun Jiaqiao's eyes reddened, and tears welled up in her eyes.

It wasn't fear, but excitement and warmth.

From a young age, he envied others who had fathers who would scold, discipline, encourage, and protect them.

This is the first time in his life that someone has scolded or encouraged him like this.

Thinking of this, he gritted his teeth and straightened his chest.

Hong Zhi turned to Zhai Jiao and smiled, a hint of something deeper in his eyes:
"Teacher Zhai, I feel we're destined to meet, what do you think?"

Zhai Jiao was overjoyed and said:
"Of course, from the first moment I saw Section Chief Hong, my heart started pounding. Section Chief Hong, you know what, we might have known each other in a past life."

Northeastern women are quite talkative... Hong Zhi nodded: "Yeah, very likely."

"How about this, I've always wanted to find a god-sister, why don't you become my sister?"

Zhai Jiao's alluring gaze froze.

She opened her mouth, her smile somewhat stiff: "My...little sister?"

"No, what do you mean by 'just'? I just don't like hearing that." Lu Ming snorted coldly.

"Being able to become Section Chief Hong's god-sister is like your family's ancestors' graves emitting auspicious smoke. Who in the whole of Harbin wouldn't envy you?"
"What, someone like you, you think you can be Mrs. Hong?"

Lu Ming was always sharp-tongued, so he naturally didn't like her.

Zhai Jiao blushed, realizing that Lu Ming had exposed her secret.

She did have that thought.

Hong Zhi is young and handsome, and powerful and influential, making him far superior to that old geezer Qian Bai.

But then she thought, how could a woman like herself, who had been played by Qian Bai, be worthy of Hong Zhiyou?

Being able to climb up to Hong Zhiyou's big tree and become his god-sister is already an immense blessing.

Zhai Jiao thought to herself that this deal would be a sure-fire way to make money.

She quickly concealed the resentment on her face and replaced it with a respectful and ingratiating smile:

"What Master Hong said is true. It was Zhai Jiao who was being unreasonable."

"Thank you, Master Hong! Thank you, Master Hong!"

She nodded repeatedly, like a rattle-drum.

Hong Zhiyou laughed and said, "Call me brother."

Zhai Jiao was taken aback for a moment, then her smile became even sweeter: "Yes, yes, Brother Hong!"

Hong Zhiyou turned to look at Sun Jiaqiao:

"I just read this child's essay."

"He doesn't have a father."

Sun Jiaqiao's body trembled slightly, and he lowered his head.

Hong Zhiyou continued, "Since we're here today, let's recognize one more person."

“From now on, Sun Jiaqiao is my godson.”

As he spoke, he squeezed Jia Qiao's cold little hand:

"Jiaqiao, call him godfather."

Sun Jiaqiao raised her head, her eyes clear, filled with a mixture of joy and bewilderment.

He looked at Hong Zhiyou, and his lips moved slightly.

"I...I have to ask my mom."

Lu Ming, who was listening nearby, couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"This silly child!"
"So many people are scrambling to recognize Master Hong as their ancestor. You must have accumulated great virtue through the efforts of your ancestors for eighteen generations to have this blessing."

"How could your mom disagree with such a great thing that's fallen from the sky?" Sun Jiaqiao bit her lip, her little face full of stubbornness: "If my mom agrees, then I'll accept it."

Hong Zhi gently patted his head.

This kid has some backbone; no wonder he's Old Zhou's son.

"Row."

Hong Zhi withdrew his hand and said to Sun Jiaqiao, "Then go back and ask your mother tonight."

"If your mom agrees, remember to bring Teacher Zhai some gifts tomorrow. You have to follow the rules when she recognizes you as her aunt."

He placed Sun Jiaqiao's small hand in Zhai Jiao's hand.

"I'm entrusting my son to you."

"If you need anything, you can call me."

Zhai Jiao happily hugged Sun Jiaqiao: "Of course!"
"Jiaqiao, will Teacher Zhai be your aunt from now on?"

Jia Qiao nestled silently in her strong arms.

Hong Zhi waved his hand, signaling Zhai Jiao to talk outside.

Once outside, he lowered his voice.

"Little sister."

"Now that I have acknowledged you, I will take good care of you."

Zhai Jiao nodded repeatedly, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.

Hong Zhiyou continued, "Here's what we'll do: you take Jiaqiao to junior high school, and once he graduates, I'll use my connections to transfer you to the Education Department."

"They'll give you a position like deputy section chief or section chief, or something similar."

Zhai Jiao was overjoyed to hear this, and her breathing became a little rapid.

Hong Zhiyou dropped another bombshell.

"In addition, from today onwards, I will give you an extra salary every month."

"How about calculating based on the salary of a deputy director-level official in the education department?"

After hearing this series of perks, Zhai Jiao was so happy she almost fainted.

She covered her mouth, her eyes wide open.

"Thank you, brother!"

You're even closer to me than my own brother!

Ignoring the presence of students and outsiders, she tiptoed and kissed Hong Zhiyou on the cheek.

Hong Zhi wiped the drool off his face and then asked, "Can you drive?"

After calming her excited emotions, Zhai Jiao quickly answered.

"Yes, Lao Qian taught me."

Hong Zhi nodded.

"Okay, I'll send someone over to deliver a car to you later."

He looked out the window; it had started snowing outside, and the road was a bit slippery.

“It’s slippery now, so you can pick up Jiaqiao on your way to and from school.”

Zhai Jiao was so happy she was almost incoherent, "Brother, no, you, you really gave me the car?"

Hong Zhiyou spoke calmly:
"Since I've accepted that kid as my son, I can't be too stingy."

"You have to take care of everything, from his studies to his clothes."

“I come to check every now and then.”

As he spoke, he took out his wallet, and without even looking at it, threw a wad of cash at Zhai Jiao.

Zhai Jiao took it with trembling hands, her heart pounding.

"Don't worry, Brother Hong!"
"I'll definitely treat him like royalty!"

Having finished explaining, Hong Zhi returned to the classroom.

He patted Sun Jiaqiao on the head.

"From now on, you sit here."

He then pointed to Qian Xiaocong.

"Little Fatty, where are you going?"

Qian Xiaocong pouted: "Section Chief Hong, I also want to recognize you as my father, my biological father!"

You're really something else... Hong Zhi smiled and ignored him.

Lu Ming walked over and pinched Qian Xiaocong's chubby face hard.

"Forget it!"

Hong Zhiyou didn't pay much attention to Sun Jiaqiao anymore, as if it was just a spur-of-the-moment thing.

He walked slowly out of the classroom with his hands behind his back.

Zhai Jiao chased after him and ran to Hong Zhiyou's side.

"Section Chief Hong, Old Qian, he, he..."

She hesitated, her eyes filled with apprehension.

Hong Zhiyou's eyes turned cold as he interrupted her, "Don't worry, he won't come out."

Zhai Jiao shivered and quickly nodded respectfully.

"Yes, yes, I know what to do."

After the two had gone, Zhai Jiao said, "Principal Li, how did Section Chief Hong manage to take a liking to Sun Jiaqiao?"

"That shouldn't be the case. I've met his mother; she's a rice-selling helper, and she's not particularly good-looking. It can't be that bad."

Li Qing watched Hong Zhiyou and Lu Ming's departing figures, filled with mixed emotions:

"Yours is not that serious; perhaps it was just someone else's whim."

"This is what a true leader is like."

"If he wants, he can send someone as powerful as Director Qian to hell with just a word."

"It can also turn a poor man like Sun Jiaqiao into a rich man with just one sentence."

He shook his head, his tone tinged with sarcasm and a sense of world-weariness.

"I'll make a bet with you."

"After tonight, he will forget the name Sun Jiaqiao."

"But so what?"

"As long as Sun Jiaqiao uses the fact that Hong Zhi has a godson as a selling point, he is destined to be a superior person for life."

"The same goes for you, Teacher Zhai."

Congratulations! Your future is bright.

"Principal Li, you're too kind. I was just lucky." Zhai Jiao was also filled with emotion.

When she woke up in the morning, she was still thinking about what new tricks she could use to please Qian Bai that night.

Who knew that in the blink of an eye, his salary would be a level higher than Qian Bai's.

This feels like a dream.

Thinking of this, she pinched herself hard.

The real pain in her palm confirmed that this was not a dream.

Zhai Jiao quickly turned around and went back to the classroom.

She looked at Qian Xiaocong, her tone becoming stern.

"Qian Xiaocong, get out of here!"

She then looked at Sun Jiaqiao, her face full of smiles.

"Jiaqiao, hurry up and sit down, class is about to start!"

Sun Jiaqiao stared at her blankly for a moment, then looked at his new seat.

He slowly moved his feet and walked to the first row of the classroom.

Qian Xiaocong pouted and reluctantly moved to the last row of the classroom.

Zhai Jiao picked up her textbook and cleared her throat.

"Class, let's continue the lesson."

……

inside the car.

Lu Ming turned to look at Hong Zhiyou, his tone tinged with doubt.

"Zhiyou, forgive my confusion."

"Since you're going after Qian Bai, why don't you arrest that female teacher as well?"

He paused.

"And he even recognized such a piece of trash as his god-sister."

"Could it be all because of that Sun Jiaqiao?"

Hong Zhi smiled:
"Lu Ming, were you ever bullied when you were young?"

Lu Ming was stunned for a moment, then gave a wry smile.

"It's not just about being young."

"It is now."

Hong Zhi raised an eyebrow: "That's right."

He turned his gaze away and looked at Lu Ming.

"I do things based on my mood."

"I felt a sudden pang of sympathy for Sun Jiaqiao when I saw him today."

"Anyway, I have more money than I can spend, so having another godson is good too."

He paused, then said, "It just so happens that Zhai Jiao and I don't have any grudges against each other."

"And this woman is very snobbish."

"It's a good opportunity to have her protect Sun Jiaqiao's interests, which is to make the most of her strengths and kill two birds with one stone."

Lu Ming laughed twice after hearing this.

"When you're in a good mood, they'll soar to new heights."

He paused, then chuckled self-deprecatingly.

"That's true. If I were like you, with so much money I couldn't spend it all, I might be able to do some good deeds and adopt a few godsons."

"Alas, if one does not have to struggle and scheme for a living or money, who in the world would not do good?"

"Aren't bad people and ruthless people all forced into their positions by a few taels of silver?"

Hong Zhi smiled, remained silent, leaned back in his chair, and closed his eyes.

Lu Ming had no idea that Jia Qiao was Old Zhou's child.

No matter how much money you earn, it will all end up going to the children in the end.

Seeing Jiaqiao's miserable appearance, Hongzhi felt a pang of sadness.

Old Zhou's hair turned white from the revolution, and his children deserve a better life. As Zhou Yi's friend and Jia Qiao's uncle, I only did something insignificant.

The problem is that Sun Yuejian has aged too quickly in the past two years, which doesn't fit his "lover" persona and easily arouses suspicion.

Otherwise, he would have liked to take Jia Qiao and Sun Yuejian into his home to take care of them.

(End of this chapter)