The Sea Queen of 1985

Chapter 22: Chapter 22: In the Zoo, Ye Feng Asks for Help

On the weekend, the zoo was filled with adults and their children.

Some held candied hawthorns, others clutched White Rabbit candies, and still others had bought a five-cent, cloud-like cotton candy at the entrance.

Some carried carrots and vegetables, ready to feed the rabbits and other small herbivores.

The air was filled with the children’s cries of wonder and the adults’ joyful laughter.

Once they arrived at the zoo, Han Xiaorui and Han Xiaoqing each took one child by the hand, and they went to see the small animals one by one.

They had a camera and film from home, and they snapped away, taking lots of pictures.

Just as Han Xiaorui was taking pictures of the children, a familiar figure entered the frame in the distance.

Ye Feng?

’Why would someone who works for a special department be here?’

Han Xiaorui was about to greet him, but when the children saw the giant pandas and ran to the other side, she had to chase after them.

Once she reached the giant panda enclosure, Han Xiaorui went back to taking pictures.

Not far away, Ye Feng saw Han Xiaorui too. ’The target I’m tailing today is very important,’ he thought.

Most people at the zoo were adults with children, or couples on dates. Almost no one came alone.

If he just brazenly tailed his target, he’d easily arouse suspicion.

After thinking it over, Ye Feng walked up to Han Xiaorui and said, ”Xiao Rui, let me take a picture for you guys.”

”Xiao Rui?” Han Xiaorui was taken aback. ’I may have asked for his help before, but is there any need to be so familiar?’

Ye Feng winked, took the camera from Han Xiaorui’s hand, and said, ”Come on, let’s get a group photo of the four of you.”

Han Xiaorui understood his unspoken request. ’He wants me to help him create a cover.’

’Besides, we’re at the zoo. With so many people around, even if there are bad guys, they wouldn’t dare to try anything reckless.’

’And I’m no pushover. If bad guys really show up, I’ll handle them.’

”Thanks!” Han Xiaorui said gratefully. She had been wanting to ask someone to take a picture for them, but not everyone is a good photographer, so they rarely got group photos of all four of them.

’Having Ye Feng take the pictures is actually pretty good.’

As Ye Feng snapped photos, he adjusted the focus, using the camera lens to surveil his targets.

Ye Feng intentionally guided them closer to the people he was surveilling, especially in crowded areas. He even held one of the children as he looked at the animals.

This was because his target was also there with his wife and children, looking at the animals.

Ye Feng was wearing sunglasses, which made his surveillance even easier.

Sure enough, amid the jostling crowd, he saw Professor Wang—who was at the zoo with his wife and children—hand an object resembling a roll of film to a foreigner who was there to see the pandas.

Ye Feng handed the child to Han Xiaorui. ”Thanks for your help.”

”You’re welcome,” Han Xiaorui said softly. ”Be careful!”

”I will.” With that, Ye Feng turned and hurried after them, making a hand signal for the arrest.

The arrest didn’t happen inside the crowded zoo, of course. They caught the foreigner at the entrance.

The middle-aged man still inside the zoo with his children had no idea that his every move had been seen.

Ye Feng and another colleague walked up to the middle-aged man, glanced at the two children, and said, ”Professor Wang, the department has some business and needs you to come with us.”

When Professor Wang saw Ye Feng, he was slightly startled. He didn’t recognize the man, and the man hadn’t said which department he was from.

Having just sold his unit’s secrets, someone was already here looking for him. Professor Wang felt a profound sense of guilt, and his heart began to pound.

”If you have business with your department, go ahead. I’ll take the children home.” Professor Wang’s wife, a very gentle and devoted woman, thought her husband truly had to go to work.

Professor Wang’s hands and feet went cold. ”I...”

”It’s alright, there will be other chances to bring the children out.” Mrs. Wang smiled gently and took the children to the other side to continue watching the giant pandas.

Professor Wang’s face was filled with remorse, his eyes full of sorrow as he watched them go.

”Professor Wang, let’s go. You don’t want us to arrest you in front of your children, do you?” Ye Feng said in a low, deep voice. ”What a happy family. It’s a shame some people don’t cherish it!”

Professor Wang’s eyes turned red. ’It’s over!’ he muttered.

Ye Feng had been instructed by his superiors not to use force on Professor Wang. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have bothered with pleasantries and would have arrested him on the spot.

Ye Feng smiled, making it look to any onlookers like they were just chatting. ”You still have a chance to cooperate for a lighter sentence.”

Hearing this, Professor Wang finally lowered his head and went with Ye Feng.

Han Xiaorui, hiding in the distance with the children, only came out with them after she saw Ye Feng lead the man away.

Han Xiaoqing asked cautiously, ”Sister, was that Mr. Ye arresting a traitor?”

Han Xiaorui gritted her teeth. ”I think so. All traitors deserve to die!”

Pingping blinked her eyes. ”Mama, what’s a traitor?”

Hearing Pingping’s question, Han Xiaorui and Han Xiaoqing’s eyes lit up with surprise and joy!

’Oh my god!’

’Our little girl with autism... actually asked a question!’

This was a huge step forward! A massive breakthrough!

Han Xiaorui carefully chose her words, trying to make her daughter understand. ”A traitor is a bad guy, a bad person!”

An’an’s eyes went wide. ”Beat the bad guys!”

”Beat the bad guys!” Pingping repeated, her little face very serious. In their minds, bad guys deserved to be beaten!

’That’s a pretty good way to see it.’

After wandering around the zoo for a while longer, they found a noodle shop for lunch.

After lunch, she took the children to buy clothes and shoes. Summer was approaching, so it was time to get a few more outfits.

When she saw her sister buying her another dress, Han Xiaoqing quickly refused. ”Sister, you’ve already bought me two dresses. You don’t need to buy me more.”

”How could two possibly be enough? You need at least seven, so you can wear a different one every day,” Han Xiaorui said with a laugh. ’My sister helps me so much, I can’t mistreat her.’

”Sister, you should buy some for yourself too. Don’t neglect yourself,” Han Xiaoqing, unable to refuse, suggested her sister also buy some.

’My sister is so beautiful, she should always look her best.’

Han Xiaorui smiled and nodded. ”Of course. What’s the point of earning money? It’s for spending. The more I spend, the more motivated I am to go fishing.”

The two sisters spent the rest of the day shopping, returning home laden with bags and feeling overjoyed.

They had just gotten home when the phone rang.

Han Xiaorui answered the phone. Hearing the voice on the other end, she already knew who it was. ”Boss Zhang, what’s up? Calling so late.”

Zhang Fa Cai’s seafood restaurant had been riding a wave of success lately. It had made a huge name for itself locally after buying exceptionally good groupers and Luo Duan from Han Xiaorui.

The Luo Duan, in particular, had allowed Zhang Fa Cai to open up a new, lucrative channel, promising him great wealth in the future.

”Xiao Han, I have a big client. He tried the Luo Duan last time, and now his father is about to celebrate his birthday. He wants a Luo Duan, preferably over one hundred pounds.”

”The price is still twenty yuan a pound. I’ll make sure you get a good deal, I promise. Oh, and by the way, if you get any more Big Yellow Fish, sell them directly to me. I’ll give you a better price than you’d get selling them through a middleman.”

Being in the seafood business, Zhang Fa Cai had heard that someone over at Jinshan Bay was selling several hundred pounds of Big Yellow Fish. When he asked around, he learned that it was Han Xiaorui who had caught them.

He was kicking himself for not having bought them directly from her.

But Zhang Fa Cai didn’t dare offend this ”Sea Goddess,” as he was counting on her to bring him even better seafood in the future!