After the phone rang, Jiang Ning took out her mobile and found it displaying an unfamiliar number on the screen.
She normally wouldn’t answer calls from unknown numbers, but seeing that the address associated with this number was Pingnan City, Jiang Ning hesitated for a moment before lifting her hand to slide the screen and answer:
The other end of the phone was quiet, no response, although some slight noises could be heard through the device.
After waiting a few seconds, just as Jiang Ning was about to end the call, the person on the other side seemed to muster their courage and finally spoke up, "...Hello, I am Li Zhichun, Li Ling’s father."
"It was you who saved my daughter from human traffickers outside the train station today, do you remember?"
With that, Jiang Ning immediately recognized who it was, "I remember, Uncle Li, hello. After we handed Li Ling over to the police today, we had other matters to attend to, so we left. How’s Li Ling’s emotional state now? Is she alright?"
"She’s okay now, thank you so much. If it wasn’t for you, I can’t even bear to think ..." Li Zhichun’s voice choked up a bit, the sincere gratitude evident in his tone, "The police didn’t inform me about your identity; Li Ling saw the news about you on her phone, and that’s how she knew. I apologize for calling you out of the blue, I hope I’m not disturbing you ..."
Li Zhichun’s voice was very gentle, and even through the screen, Jiang Ning could almost sense the scholarly and refined aura about him.
He quickly made clear the purpose of his call, "I was wondering if you’re still in Wangjiang District? I’d like to take you and your friend out for a meal to express my gratitude."
"There’s no need for such formality. What we did today was really nothing. I believe if anyone else came across such a situation, they would step in to help too," Jiang Ning spoke up," My friend and I have already returned to Capital City, but we appreciate your offer to dine."
"That quick?" Li Zhichun sounded a little surprised.
He hadn’t expected Jiang Ning and Qi Xingzhou to leave so swiftly.
Li Zhichun quickly calculated the distance of over a thousand kilometers between Pingnan City and Capital City in his mind and, after several seconds of silence, asked with a determination that implied the importance of what he was about to say, "Jiang Ning, is there anyone else around you? Is it convenient to talk about something serious?"
Jiang Ning had already walked aside to take the call alone, which was her subconscious habit when answering calls, "There’s no one else around, go ahead."
On the other end, Li Zhichun sat alone in his study.
Looking at the luminous screen of his computer, Li Zhichun took a deep breath, his tone very serious, "Could you give me an email address? I’d like to send you some documents."
"After you look them over, whatever decision you make, I will support you."
"Remember, do not let anyone else who isn’t authorized to deal with these matters find out."
Jiang Ning wasn’t naive. Li Zhichun had made himself abundantly clear—although she hadn’t yet seen what he intended to send, she could guess from his words that it must be something that illegally crossed certain lines, perhaps even evidence that wasn’t to be lightly disclosed to others.
Without much consideration, she held her phone earnestly, "Okay, I agree. I’ll give you my email address, send it over."
She was curious to see just what kind of trouble was brewing in the shadows.