A few days later, Jiang Lin took Su Xingyun along with Director Zhao and Dean Chen to another province for an inspection.

They needed to visit several stone mines to finalize a batch of suitable building materials.

That morning, Cheng Rushan went for his morning exercise and then headed to the office to handle some documents. Checking the time, he called Jiang Lin to ask about the situation.

They had arranged things almost completely and would be back in a few days.

After hanging up, he decided to go home for breakfast.

As he stepped out, he saw Bie Dongshan running towards him in a hurry.

“Director Cheng!”

Cheng Rushan frowned slightly and raised his hand to stop Bie Dongshan’s rapid approach. “What’s the matter?”

Bie Dongshan gasped for breath. “He Liang and Lu Hang… got into a car accident…”

“A car accident?” Cheng Rushan quickly walked outside.

The weather was clear, and it was early summer with no heavy rain, and there weren’t many cars on the road.

He Liang and Lu Hang weren’t the type to drive recklessly.

So, where did this accident come from?

“What exactly happened? Which hospital are they in?”

Bie Dongshan replied, “We don’t know the exact details yet. It was Dr. Guo who called. She only said they were in a neighboring province and wanted us to arrange a car to take her there.”

Given the urgency and the lack of transportation, it was indeed a problem.

Guo Yanqiu didn’t have a car and couldn’t buy a train ticket.

Cheng Rushan said, “Let’s go take a look.”

Bie Dongshan drove while Cheng Rushan bought a few buns on the way to eat.

When they arrived at the provincial hospital, they saw Dr. Guo Yanqiu with red, swollen eyes.

She appeared calm but was shaking heavily, muttering something to herself, clearly anxious and nervous but trying to keep herself composed.

Cheng Rushan said, “Dr. Guo, please tell us the general situation.”

Dr. Guo Yanqiu was not usually flustered in emergencies but was genuinely concerned and frightened.

Seeing Cheng Rushan’s steady and composed demeanor helped her regain her calm.

She said, “Lu Hang was driving to a neighboring province yesterday to order cotton, and He Liang happened to go with him. They were driving back last night when they… encountered highway robbers. He… said he was still unconscious.”

She received a call early in the morning from the local police station.

The police only notified the family without providing many details.

After hanging up, she panicked and instinctively called the friends of the two men involved.

Cheng Rushan was definitely more reliable than Lu Hang’s father, being a military officer.

Moreover, if they encountered robbers on the road, Cheng Rushan would be more effective in seeking justice.

Bie Dongshan comforted her, telling her not to overthink.

Since Guo Yanqiu wasn’t clear enough, Cheng Rushan called the police station to get more details.

He thought of more possibilities than Guo Yanqiu did. Lu Hang and He Liang were not ordinary people.

He Liang was from the military, and although his combat skills might not match those of Fang Chengguang and other talented individuals, he was still far superior to the average person.

Lu Hang was no slouch either. If they encountered road robbers, unless they were ambushed, even ten men couldn’t easily overpower them.

He dialed the number and first inquired about Lu Hang and He Liang’s condition.

Lu Hang was still unconscious, and He Liang, who had lost a lot of blood, had passed the critical stage after receiving a transfusion and was no longer in danger.

The person who reported the incident was Li Wenzhong, the director of a coal factory in the province.

Last night, he and his accountant were driving back to the factory when they saw a bloodied man fighting four or five men armed with iron rods and knives near the base of Baimao Mountain.

Li Wenzhong decisively fired a warning shot with a makeshift gun, causing the attackers to flee.

They quickly rescued the injured man, who soon passed out from blood loss.

Li Wenzhong and the accountant then found another man in the car with a head injury, unconscious from being hit by something.

Not daring to stay long, they split up—one drove the injured men to the hospital, and the other went to the police station to report the incident.

The police found IDs in the car, identifying the unconscious man as Lu Hang and the man who had lost a lot of blood as He Liang.

Early this morning, the police contacted Guo Yanqiu using the number in Lu Hang’s notebook.

Although He Liang was in military uniform, he carried a teacher’s ID for this trip, so the police also informed Guo Yanqiu and asked her to contact He Liang’s family.

The investigation revealed that their car was hit by falling rocks, which shattered the windshield and caused injuries from the flying glass.

Lu Hang was evidently struck directly on the head by a rock, causing him to lose consciousness, while He Liang was cut by glass and bled heavily during the intense fight.

If Li Wenzhong and his accountant hadn’t happened to pass by and rescue them, the outcome could have been fatal.

After hanging up the phone, Cheng Rushan’s expression was grim, and there was a hidden anger in his eyes.

Bie Dongshan was very angry. “This situation has been happening for a few years now, and it’s become even more rampant in the last two years.

Truck drivers are being robbed at night on the highways, with people throwing broken glass or nails on the roads to puncture tires, or throwing stones from bridges to smash car windows, taking advantage of when drivers are injured to rob them.

I’ve heard it’s even worse in the countryside, where traveling at night can lead to being robbed, and people are even using wire to strangle cyclists. The local authorities seem to be doing nothing about it!”

In the past, when the economy was underdeveloped, everyone struggled to make ends meet, and due to restrictions like household registration, recommendation letters, grain tickets, and work points, people couldn’t travel freely.

Even if there were some thugs or ruffians, highway robbery was rare.

Now, with the economic reforms and improvements, people have surplus food and are starting small businesses.

Some local ruffians, instead of working hard, look for easy ways to make money.

They either lure rural women into the cities for prostitution or resort to theft, robbery, and deception with new tactics.

Moreover, local security forces are mostly former militia, with poor professional skills, and are often entangled with local bullies.

Another issue is that newly appointed security officials in the region, many of whom are from other places and don’t understand the local situation, or who don’t want to offend local powers, are only concerned with finishing their terms safely and getting promoted.

They don’t want to confront the local bullies and risk causing trouble that could obstruct their careers.

Due to these reasons, local and rural areas are plagued by bullies and road pirates, creating a situation where people are afraid to walk at night.

For transport workers like Duan Chang’an and Zhu Junjie, not only do they have to travel long distances, but they also pass through some rural areas where strong local customs mean that it’s almost impossible to pass without some bloodshed.

Cheng Rushan said to Guo Yanqiu, “It won’t help if you go there yourself. I’ll contact the provincial military district to arrange for them to be brought back. You don’t need to worry.”

Guo Yanqiu was much calmer now. “Thank you, Cheng Ge.”

Cheng Rushan replied, “We’re all in this together.”

They bid farewell to Guo Yanqiu, and Bie Dongshan drove them to the military district, where they reported the case directly to Commander Han.

Commander Han listened to the report in detail and immediately ordered the military district’s helicopter to pick up the two from the neighboring province hospital and arrange for their treatment at the provincial military district.

The severe injury of active-duty officers on a national highway by highway robbers was a very serious criminal case.

Commander Han immediately called the provincial Public Security Department, demanding that they work with the neighboring province’s police to solve the case as quickly as possible.

When the public security, prosecution, and legal departments were re-established, many of their staff, especially in the police department, were former military personnel.

Therefore, Commander Han was very stern with them, skipping pleasantries and launching straight into a reprimand.

“You came from my place, and He Liang was also my soldier. I treat all of you equally. If any soldier is harmed, I, Han, won’t tolerate it. Even though you’re no longer under the military district’s command, you must solve this case quickly and bring the culprits to justice! How dare they rob active-duty soldiers—it’s truly outrageous! What kind of security are you running? Are you just sitting there doing nothing?”

“Old Commander, don’t get angry. We will solve this case as quickly as possible, I promise!” Director Yu didn’t know what had happened but had already received a stern scolding from Commander Han.

He had no choice but to agree and then send people to find out the details.

Soon, they discovered that it was He Liang who had been injured, and Cheng Rushan personally went to the provincial military district to report the incident to Commander Han.

Director Yu was quite annoyed and ordered someone to fetch Cheng Rushan.

He wondered why Cheng Rushan didn’t directly raise his concerns with the provincial department.

Why was he running to the military district?

Did he still think it was the era of military control?

Before they could send anyone, Cheng Rushan returned and went straight to Director Yu’s office.

Director Yu spent some time reviewing a few documents before slowly looking up at Cheng Rushan.

To be honest, even though their departments were part of the same system, they operated independently and were highly guarded against each other, fearing infiltration.

There were even personal disagreements behind the scenes.

Director Yu had long noticed Cheng Rushan.

They had both worked under Commander Han, but Cheng Rushan was considered a junior and had risen through the ranks much faster than he had.

Director Yu didn’t like Cheng Rushan because he was too clean, too upright, and too shrewd.

Clean, because he was strict with himself, never violating rules or overstepping boundaries.

Upright, because he wouldn’t bow to anyone, even at the risk of losing his position.

Shrewd, because he never gave anyone the chance to retaliate or catch him off guard.

Whenever he took action, it was precise and effective, with solid evidence that left no room for doubt.

People even felt grateful to him for stopping them from falling into an abyss, even when he apprehended them.

What kind of twisted logic is that?

The man in front of him was tall and handsome.

Although his file indicated he was 37 years old, he could easily pass for 27 or 28, maybe just over 30.

However, his calm and imposing demeanor, with no hint of emotion, made him seem unfathomable.

It felt as if he were an old fox who had spent decades navigating the political landscape, which was a stark contrast considering how young he appeared.

Director Yu greeted Cheng Rushan with a friendly demeanor, exchanged a few pleasantries, and invited him to sit down.