“Alright!” Tang Hao agreed to it.
Tang Hao got out of bed first and prepared breakfast. They left the house after Qin Xiangyi dressed up. They strolled around the city center and took in the sights. It was an intimate and casual date.
At noon, Tang Hao received a call from his uncle in Tang Village.
“Is there something, Uncle?” Tang Hao answered the call.
“Hey, Lil Hao! Well… the village elder asked me to call you,” His uncle hemmed and hawed for a while, then said with some difficulty.
“What happened?” Tang Hao was surprised.
“Well…” His uncle hesitated again.
“Just speak anything that’s on your mind, Uncle. It’s OK,” Tang Hao said with a smile.
“Well… the fellow villagers saw that Dragonrock Village is developing fast and they’re a little envious. Dragonrock Village used to be more run-down than our Tang Village, but now they’re catching up to us very quickly.
“The villagers wonder if you have some way to help the village.”
“Well…” Tang Hao hesitated.
The qi conditions at Tang Village were worse than Dragonrock Village. Setting up a plantation there would not be very effective.
That was why Tang Hao did not consider Tang Village when he set up his plantation.
He thought about the issue carefully. With the speed at which the company was growing, the plantation at Dragonrock Village would not be able to keep up with the demand.
When Tang Hao went back to the company the day before, Liu Yan had mentioned to him that the company needed to expand the plantation at Dragonrock Village to cope with the incoming orders.
The weight loss tea required a few rare herbs. However, Bingji Beauty Cream required many rare herbs.
With the increase in the number of production lines, the plantation at Dragonrock Village would not be enough even if he claimed the entire mountain as his plantation.
He could consider setting up a plantation at Tang Village. It was fine if the quality of the herbs were not as good; he needed to build a few more plantations anyway.
He thought about it for a while and said, “No problem, Uncle. I’ll head over to the village in the afternoon to discuss this with you all.”
His uncle was immediately excited. “Alright, I will let the elder know about this,” he said happily.
After the call ended, Tang Hao told Sis Xiangyi about the call.
After lunch, Tang Hao sent her to the factory, then headed toward Tang Village.
The Audi A8 attracted the villagers’ attention once it arrived at the entrance.
“It’s Lil Hao! Lil Hao is here!” Many villagers cheered.
The village became livelier than ever as the car drove along the road.
All the villagers heard that Tang Hao was here to talk about developing the village.
It was big news. The villagers had been waiting for Tang Hao for a long time.
The car stopped in front of the village council building.
Tang Dashun, the village elder, was already waiting in front of the building with the rest of the council. Many villagers were also crowding in from all directions.
“Wow, this car is so cool! It must be expensive!”
“I know, this is an Audi! A model A8, right? It costs a million yuan, so expensive!”
“Oh my god! A million yuan?”
“Hah, that’s loose change to Lil Hao. Can’t you see that he’s a big boss now?”
The villagers discussed with each other.
The village elder walked toward Tang Hao once he got out of the car. They shook hands.
“Sorry for the trouble, Lil Hao!” Tang Dashun said.
“Don’t mention it!” Tang Hao said with a smile.
“Do you have a way, Lil Hao?” Tang Dashun asked.
All the villagers were looking eagerly at Tang Hao.
“I’m indeed planning to set up a new plantation. I can consider setting it up at Tang Village, but I can only confirm that after studying the details.
“For example, how much land can the village provide, and also how many villagers that I can employ in the plantation and the factories. These are all factors that I have to consider before I can make a decision.”
“There’s a lot of land in the mountains. You can use as much land as you like,” Tang Dashun said urgently, “I’m also sure that there will be many people willing to pick up the skills required for the jobs, don’t worry about that.”
Tang Hao smiled. “That’s true! Alright, let’s head to the mountains for a survey.”
“Alright! I’ll bring you there, Lil Hao!”
Tang Dashun led the way and they went into the mountains.
Many villagers followed behind. It was quite a spectacle.
Tang Hao was familiar with the lay of the land. He had grown up in Tang Village after all.
He could sense that the qi flow there was indeed thinner than Dragonrock Village. However, laying qi gathering formations in the area would alleviate the problem.
Tang Hao made up his mind after the survey.
“Alright, I’ll set up the plantation here! I’ll send my field team over in one or two days to discuss the details. The surveyors will be here too!”
The crowd exploded with activity when they heard that. All the villagers looked happy.
Tang Dashun breathed a sigh of relief. He gripped Tang Hao’s hands tightly and shook them.
“Thank you so much, Lil Hao!” Tang Dashun said emotionally.
“Don’t mention it, Elder. This is my hometown, and I’m merely paying back my debt of gratitude,” Tang Hao said.
“Please stay for dinner, Lil Hao!” Tang Dashun said.
“I’d love to, but I have to attend to some other business though!” Tang Hao rejected tactfully.
“Is that so? Then I shan’t hold you back then! Let’s go back to the village!”
After leaving Tang Village, Tang Hao’s phone started ringing as the car got on the trunk road.
Tang Hao took it out and saw the call notification displayed the name of the beautiful police officer.
“That’s weird. Why is everyone looking for me today?” Tang Hao mumbled to himself, though he eventually answered the call.
Chapter 243 - A Helping Hand
“Hey! Tang Hao!”
Zhao Qingxue’s voice was heard over the phone.
“Is there anything, Officer Zhao?” Tang Hao asked.
Zhao Qingxue hesitated for a while. “Are you free right now?” She eventually asked.
“Nothing important. What’s up?”
“Can you come over here for a bit? I have something that requires your help. I’m at the city center now, at a place called Jindabao Jewelry,” Zhao Qingxue said.
Tang Hao thought for a bit and agreed to it.
He did not have any urgent matters to attend to anyway. He was curious to see what required his help.
After the call ended, he rode in his car and drove straight to the city center.
About twenty minutes later, he arrived somewhere near Jindabao Jewelry. He slowed down the car, and soon he noticed a beautiful figure standing somewhere near the entrance of the jewelry store.
The figure was incredibly eye-catching. There was no chance of missing her.
The red full-body dress that she wore allowed her to flaunt every curve of her body.
There was no need to mention her perfect face.
Her presence had attracted all the pedestrians on both sides of the road.
All the males looked surprised and excited. Meanwhile, the females looked at her with envy.
Tang Hao was surprised. She was not wearing her uniform today, which meant that she was not on duty.
‘I wonder what does she need help with?’
He slowly drove the car next to her. Zhao Qingxue did not seem to notice him, instead, she was still looking around.
She only looked at the car when it stopped right next to her.
She was stunned wh
en she noticed the driver. Her eyes gradually widened in increasing incredulity.
“What’s wrong?” Tang Hao was surprised.
“Where’s your three-wheeled motorcycle?” Zhao Qingxue asked after she eventually came to her senses.
She was quite certain that Tang Hao used to go around in his little three-wheeled motorcycle!
How did it turn into an Audi?
Tang Hao was taken aback for a moment, then he smiled. “It’s scrapped! I’ve changed into an Audi A8 now. I say, Officer Zhao, what’s the matter?”
Zhao Qingxue turned to glance at the jewelry store nearby, then opened the car door and sat inside.
Tang Hao examined her. “You look healthy, Officer Zhao!”
“I’m fine!” Zhao Qingxue said. Then, she pointed at the jewelry store. “Tang Hao, do you see the man with the black jacket in the store?”
Tang Hao looked toward the direction in which she was pointing. He soon discerned the man she was talking about.
The man had their back facing them, and he could not see his face.
“What’s up with him?” Tang Hao asked.
“I suspect that the man is a wanted criminal. He’s not a typical criminal either,” Zhao Qingxue said.
She unlocked her phone, went through her photo gallery, and showed Tang Hao a picture.
On the picture was a man in his forties. He looked quite vicious.
“This man’s name is Ma Qiang. He’s from Province C. He is quite notorious. He once went on an armed robbery spree of more than ten jewelry stores with three other accomplices.”
“More than ten stores?” Tang Hao was shocked.
“That man is a professional criminal and has accomplices in many provinces. That’s why we haven’t managed to catch him. Back then, the police forces from multiple provinces collaborated to nab him. We managed to arrest the three accomplices, but he got away!
“That was three years ago. That person seemed to have disappeared in those three years, and no one ever saw him.
“It’s my day off today. I was strolling along the streets and saw him in the store. I managed to recognize him.
“It appears that he has undergone plastic surgery. His face is different now and it’s hard to discern him, but… his mannerisms are still the same. For example, I could still recognize him by the way he walks.”
“You’re amazing!” Tang Hao exclaimed.
Zhao Qingxue seemed to be quite happy with Tang Hao’s praise.
“So… if you recognize him, why aren’t you arresting him?” Tang Hao asked.
“No matter how sure I am, it’s still just a guess and there’s no evidence. Furthermore, that person is in a jewelry store now. He must be planning his next heist.
“Think about it. He’s not going to rob the store alone! He’ll definitely have some accomplices, and they might be prowling nearby. We ought to arrest them all at once.
“That’s why I’m laying low until they make their move.
“I don’t think I can do it alone, and that’s why I’m asking you for help. Aren’t you very good at martial arts? You also know some [weird techniques[ too.”
“Why don’t you ask Captain Zhou for help?” Tang Hao asked.
“I want to crack this case by myself,” Zhao Qingxue said awkwardly, “Furthermore, Captain Zhou and the others are occupied with other cases!”
Tang Hao understood what she was trying to do.
If she could arrest the wanted criminal herself, that would be an incredible feat.
“Hey, Tang Hao! Are you helping me or not?”
Zhao Qingxue asked. She was begging at him with her eyes.
Tang Hao hesitated for a while, then nodded.
Helping her with the arrest was not a difficult task.
Zhao Qingxue breathed a sigh of relief. “Thanks! I’ll treat you to lunch next time!”
Then, she turned back to keep a close eye on the man inside the jewelry store.
That person wandered around. A few minutes later, he walked out of the store. His face was indeed very different from that in the photo.
Standing outside of the jewelry store, he cautiously looked to his left and right.
Then, he seemed to have noticed something and walked straight toward Tang Hao’s car.
Zhao Qingxue was immediately on alert. She abruptly turned around, pulled Tang Hao close to her, and kissed him.
The kiss was too sudden.
Tang Hao’s eyes widened. He did not know how to react.
The beautiful eyes were also staring at him.
Time seemed to have stopped at that instant.
After some time, she violently pushed Tang Hao away. Her beautiful cheeks were burning.
“Hmph! I didn’t mean to do that!” She said grumpily, then wiped her lips with her hand.
She turned around again and looked out of the car.
Tang Hao was still sitting there, dumbstruck.
Chapter 244 - Stopping the Heist
The mood in the car was awkward.
Zhao Qingxue turned to look outside of the car. Suddenly she pointed somewhere and exclaimed, “He’s over there!”
“Should we get out of the car now?” Tang Hao said as he wiped away the lipstick on his lips.
“We’ll still have to wait! That person is very cautious. We can’t alert him now,” Zhao Qingxue said.
Tang Hao followed her gaze and noticed that the man was wandering on the street. Soon, he entered another jewelry store.
There were many famous jewelry stores on that street.
“He shouldn’t be making his move now. If he hasn’t changed his modus operandi, he’ll start his heist close to nine o’clock, when the stores are preparing to close,” Zhao Qingxue said.
About ten minutes later, that man came out of the store.
This time, he left immediately without looking back.
Tang Hao and Zhao Qingxue did not tail him. Instead, they agreed to meet at that spot around seven o’clock in the evening.
Tang Hao drove his car back to his company to attend to some official matters. A few hours passed in the blink of an eye. Tang Hao picked up Sis Xiangyi from work, had dinner together, then told her about helping the police to stop the jewelry heist.
A little after six o’clock, Tang Hao left his house and went to the meeting point.
Zhao Qingxue was already waiting there.
Tang Hao stopped the car by the roadside, and Zhao Qingxue went in and waited.
The mood in the car was still awkward, perhaps because of the kiss earlier.
“Well… Officer Zhao, how is Lil Xin’er?” Tang Hao opened his mouth to break the silence.
“She’s doing very well! She has been very healthy since she was discharged. I ought to bring you to visit her someday!” Zhao Qingxue said gratefully with a smile.
Then, the two chatted about other things.
Two hours passed in the blink of an eye.
The crowd on the street gradually thinned.
Suddenly, a minivan appeared from a street corner. The van door opened and four masked men swiftly ran into Jindabao Jewelry.
Panicked shrieks were heard in the jewelry store.
The two people sitting in the car sat up in alert at once.
Zhao Qingxue took out her gun from her handbag. She was going to open the car door and dash out.
“Wait!” Tang Hao shouted. He plucked a blood jade bead from his wrist and handed it to her. “Wear this! You’ll be bulletproof with it!”
Zhao Qingxue was shocked, though she did what she was told.
Then, she got out of the car and dashed toward the jewelry store.
Tang Hao got out of the car and followed behind her.
The sole security guard in the jewelry store had been subdued. The four robbers were breaking the displays and looting the jewelry within.
“Faster! Faster!”
The robber who seemed to be the leader roared. He was Ma Qiang who had undergone plastic surgery.
&nb
sp; As he roared, he smashed the glass displays like a madman, grabbed the jewelry, and stuffed them into a sack.
“Three minutes is up. Let’s go!” He suddenly roared. Then, he dashed out while holding the sack. The other robbers also followed him out.
At the exit, Zhao Qingxue, who had been lying in wait, pounced and yelled, “Freeze! Don’t move! This is the police!” She aimed her gun at the robbers.
Ma Qiang’s body stiffened and his face showed surprise.
He did not expect that the police would arrive so soon.
He looked carefully to see that there was only one police officer, and a beautiful woman at that. He grinned viciously.
“Ha! You’re so pretty!”
“Tsk tsk! What a hottie!”
The robbers burst into laughter.
“Put your hands in the air and your knees on the ground. No sudden movements. Otherwise, I’ll shoot!” Zhao Qingxue ordered coldly.
Ma Qiang smirked, then delivered a silent instruction to one of his accomplices.
The robber understood and abruptly turned around into the store to grab a woman. Then, he held an imitation handgun against her head.
“If you dare to shoot, beautiful lady, I’ll blow her head off!” The robber said viciously.
Zhao Qingxue’s expression changed. She hesitated.
Things were a lot trickier with a hostage. She would be in big trouble if the hostage was hurt, or worse, killed.
“Let’s go!” Ma Qiang waved his arm and led the charge back into the minivan.
The four robbers soon entered the minivan. They shoved the hostage away and shut the door.
“Hahaha, that was so f*cking great! We won’t have to work for the next few years once we’re done robbing the stores!”
“Dammit, that chick was hot! Once we get the money, we’ll go pay a few b*tches and have some fun!”
The four robbers laughed with great relief.
Zhao Qingxue stamped her feet while she stood outside the jewelry store. She was very furious.
‘There’s not enough backup. I can’t do anything to these robbers!’ She thought. She turned around and was surprised that Tang Hao was nowhere to be seen.
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