The night before the college entrance exam results were released, I redeemed my Peking University ad

The Hongqi car drove straight to a military airport in the western suburbs of Beijing.

This airport is not open to the public. There are no schedules for commercial flights, no check-in counters or security checkpoints. There are only rows of military green transport planes parked in the hangar and a few business jets painted with low-visibility markings.

After the sentries on both sides of the gate checked the documents, they gave a crisp military salute. The barrier slowly rose, and the Hongqi car drove straight across the taxiway at the edge of the runway.

On the tarmac, a silver-gray Y-9 modified transport plane sat quietly, with the crew already lined up and waiting.

The propeller was idling slightly, emitting a low hum.

"Ji Bai, this way please."

Secretary Li gestured to the side, then stepped forward towards the gangway.

Ji Bai paused, somewhat taken aback: "Uh... Secretary Li, you're coming back with me too?"

"Yes, Ji Bai."

Secretary Li smiled politely: "But don't worry, we are only responsible for your security on the perimeter. We will never interfere with any of your private activities, nor will we... stay at your home."

Well, it seems someone has already been to my house.

The affair between the young man and his wife has probably already been exposed.

Ji Baifa found that his mind was getting sharper and sharper; he could understand 100 different meanings from a casual remark made by Secretary Li.

"Alright."

Ji Bai didn't say anything more and stepped onto the gangway.

The cabin interior is not luxurious; in fact, it can be described as simple.

There were no leather sofas, no bar or wine cabinet, only a few reinforced airline seats and simple shelves against the wall. Compared to the Gulfstream private jets popular among the wealthy, it was a far cry from the reality.

But its advantages lie in its spaciousness and stability, with a green channel throughout the process, eliminating the need for queuing for check-in and repeated security checks, allowing you to just pack up and go.

No wonder wealthy people love to own private jets; they are indeed very convenient.

Ji Bai sat down and fastened his seatbelt, thinking to himself: When I have the chance, I'll choose an option related to aircraft engines, and then the whole aircraft will look decent.

"We can take off now." Secretary Li nodded to the flight crew.

The propeller speed suddenly increased, and the plane slowly taxied, pulled up, and smoothly soared into the sky.

Ji Bai leaned back in his chair, and just as he closed his eyes, sleepiness overwhelmed him, and he fell asleep almost instantly.

Not to mention the previous ten-plus hours of flight, the simulations alone were conducted nine times.

Even if it feels like a dream, dreaming too much gets tiring.

With a blink of an eye, Ji Baifa realized the plane had landed, and the sky outside the window was already getting dark.

"Ji Bai, you're awake." Secretary Li immediately put down the documents in her hand and said softly.

"How long have I been asleep?" Ji Bai rubbed his temples.

"You slept for about five hours and thirty-seven minutes." Secretary Li remembered it perfectly.

More than five hours?

Ji Bai was stunned.

The flight from Beijing to Fucheng takes a little over three hours. So, the plane had been on the ground for over two hours, and this person had been waiting without waking him up.

Why didn't you wake me up?

"Seeing you sleeping so soundly, you must be exhausted, so I didn't have the heart to disturb you," Secretary Li replied with a gentle smile, her answer perfectly tactful.

Indeed, someone who can serve as a secretary in the Senate must possess a very clever and perceptive mind.

Thank you.

Ji Bai thanked him, stood up, straightened his clothes, and prepared to get off the plane.

Secretary Li casually picked up his suitcase, and the two walked down the gangway side by side.

The evening breeze carried the familiar, lively atmosphere of Fucheng, making it feel more relaxed than the capital.

After walking a few steps, Secretary Li suddenly spoke up: "By the way, while you were resting just now, we received news from a certain department that those robbers have all confessed."

"However, they did not know who was really behind it; they only revealed the name of an island."

"L Island?" Ji Bai asked casually without stopping.

A hint of surprise flashed across Secretary Li's face, then he smiled and said, "Ji Bai is indeed a genius, you guessed it right away! It is L Island in the Pacific Ocean. These people originally planned to kidnap you and put you under house arrest on the island."

"Who's behind L Island?" Ji Bai turned his head and finally looked at him directly.

Secretary Li considered his words carefully, lowered his voice, and spoke with an unusual seriousness:

"L Island has a complex composition; it doesn't belong to any one person or family, but rather... the Oak Union."

"This is a secret alliance formed privately by more than a dozen long-established financial magnates. At its core are five major families, with deep-rooted influence in the political, business, and military spheres."

"Their reach extends to six vital sectors: global energy, military industry, finance, semiconductors, media, and shipping. They control about 17% of the world's crude oil trade, more than 20% of rare earth processing capacity, and nearly half of the international shipping insurance market."

"And L Island is their private kingdom!"

After he finished speaking, Secretary Li thought Ji Bai would be shocked and solemn, but instead he saw the young man just narrow his eyes slightly.

"Okay, I understand."

Secretary Li added, "By the way, I should also let you know that this hijacking incident, especially the missile interception and the standoff on the high seas, will not be made public to avoid causing unnecessary panic."

"Of course, everything will be made public when the time is right. I hope you can understand."

Ji Bai smiled.

"Don't worry, Secretary Li. What can a high school student like me do? I'm just asking casually."

Secretary Li breathed a sigh of relief.

He was genuinely afraid that the young man wouldn't be able to swallow his anger and would pull a big stunt, exposing everything to the public.

That could lead to a lot of wrangling.

Trying to take down those five major families without any evidence or proof is not an easy task.

"But don't worry, Ji Bai, this matter isn't just going to end like this. We're not ignoring it; we're handling it slowly, deliberately, and in a measured way!"

As he spoke, Secretary Li became excited.

"Now that you have personally invented room-temperature superconductivity, the entire world's energy landscape and industrial system will be completely transformed."

In the past, we had few cards to play, and we had to endure, suppress, and take roundabout ways to deal with many things. But now it's different. You are our strongest trump card!

Once the superconducting industry is fully established nationwide and the technological barriers are firmly in place, then we'll settle all the old and new scores together!

"Don't even mention a single Oakwood consortium; even if they had the entire Western capitalist world tied to them, they'd still have to bow their heads obediently."

That's a very high level of skill.

It both appeased the boy's potential dissatisfaction and elevated his importance to the extreme, making the listener feel comforted.

Ji Bai smiled upon hearing this but did not reply.

It seems the higher-ups had a deep purpose in sending Secretary Li to his side.

However, he also understands the mindset of those above.

Great power rivalry is never a matter of momentary verbal sparring.

The last standoff at sea was only made public after a long time, and even then, it was only semi-public.

Seeing Ji Bai smile, Secretary Li finally breathed a sigh of relief and asked:

"Where do we go now? Straight back to your house, or...?"

"Go to Wenyuan Residential Area." Ji Bai casually gave an address.

Secretary Li's expression immediately turned somewhat strange.

If he remembers correctly, the address on the file seems to be... that homeroom teacher's house!

No wonder the boy was in such a hurry to come back.

That's a genius's trick!

But this is for the best.

It's better to focus on relationships than to demand justice from the government.

If someone bullies you in your daily life, you can call the police.

But between countries, there are no alarms to report.

No, there is a country that claims to be the world's policeman.

But what if it's the one bullying you?

Thinking about this, Secretary Li couldn't help but sigh in his heart: "The higher-ups really have foresight!"

When he arranged for Ji Bai to go to that little red building as soon as he landed and stay there for a full half hour, he felt that it might be a bit too formal.

In retrospect, that half hour was not unnecessary.

Ji Bai's calm demeanor at this moment is probably related to those past half hour.

Secretary Li had no idea what was said.

But it must be very important!