Chapter 85: First Encounter with Younger Sister
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
“The child has been brought back. Apparently, the nanny took her out to play, but she ended up getting lost. The nanny was hesitant to shoulder the responsibility and didn’t inform the parents. Eventually, the nanny fled as well. The parents are preoccupied with their commitments, and if we hadn’t contacted them, they wouldn’t have been aware,” Captain Liu calmly narrated as he held a cup of tea.
“Allow me to share, the family of the little girl you rescued is quite exceptional,” Captain Liu leaned closer and whispered suddenly.
“Captain Liu, please elaborate.” Zhou Chao’s interest was piqued.
“I don’t have all the details, but prominent figures from the Nanshan District were there. I’m not fully informed about the specifics of the situation,” Captain Liu admitted. While he had a general sense of what might have occurred, some matters were best left unspoken to avoid potential errors.
“I hope it’s not just for this reason that you called me here today.”
“Of course not. If that were the case, I could have just told you over the phone,” Captain Liu quickly reassured.
“The child’s parents will like to thank you in person later. You might need to wait for a while.” Captain Liu seemed a bit embarrassed. After all, it’s not common to have someone who did a good deed waiting around, especially when it’s not about seeking gratitude. However, it was arranged by his superiors, and he could only engage in small talk with Zhou Chao.
“No problem, 1 also want to see that little girl again.” Soon, they were all sitting in the conference room, sipping tea and chatting. Captain Liu shared some amusing anecdotes from his missions.
Before long, the sound of footsteps echoed outside the door, and the first to enter was Little Mango.
“Ah, handsome uncle, hug me!” Little Mango dashed over and jumped into Zhou Chao’s arms. He quickly crouched down to catch her.
“Mwah, you smell so nice, handsome uncle,” Little Mango gave Zhou Chao a kiss.
“Little Mango, call me handsome brother.”
“I’d rather call you handsome uncle.”
Following that, four or five more people entered the room. Leading them was a middle-aged man who seemed to be around forty.
“Daddy, this is the uncle who saved me that night.” Little Mango hopped off Zhou Chao and went to the middle-aged man’s side, pointing to Zhou Chao.
“Hello, I’m Ye Zhengfeng, thank you for saving my precious daughter.” the middle-aged man, or rather Ye Zhengfeng, shook Zhou Chao’s hand in gratitude.
“Hello, I’m Zhou Chao. It’s what 1 should have done. Perhaps it’s fate that brought us together, otherwise, I wouldn’t have coincidentally met Little Mango.” Zhou Chao’s words made Little Mango nod earnestly.
“Let’s sit down and chat. There’s no need to stand.” Ye Zhengfeng suggested as he looked at the group standing.
Everyone took their seats. Little Mango hopped down from Ye Zhengfeng’s lap, ran to Zhou Chao, and raised her hands. Zhou Chao looked at Ye Zhengfeng, who was smiling at him, and lifted Little Mango into his arms.
“Mr. Zhou, I sincerely appreciate your effort in rescuing my daughter. If it weren’t for you, who knows what could have happened to Little Mango.”
“Mr. Ye, 1 happened to be at the right place at the right time. It’s like fate brought us together. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have had the chance to meet Little Mango. Mr. Ye, you’re around the same age as my father, so you don’t need to call me ‘Mr. Zhou’. Just call me ‘Little Chao’.”
“If that’s how it is, you can just call me ‘Uncle’. Using ‘Mr.’ sounds too formal.” Ye Zhengfeng’s statement caused a noticeable shift in the expressions of a few people around.
“Uncle Ye.”
“All.” Little Mango in Zhou Chao’s arms looked at her dad and Zhou Chao with a puzzled expression. How come he started calling her dad ‘Uncle’?
“Little Mango is the precious child who came into our lives in our later years. She’s always been the joy we hold close to our hearts. Lately, due to our busy schedules, my wife and I decided to hire a professional nanny from a childcare agency. Unfortunately, no one could have anticipated this turn of events.” Ye Zhengfeng began with a smile, but his demeanor grew more solemn as he continued.
Zhou Chao patted Little Mango’s head and said, “The most important thing is that Little Mango is safe.”
They chatted for a while longer. Ye Zhengfeng checked the time and realized it was almost noon. He suggested treating Zhou Chao to lunch, and Zhou Chao didn’t hesitate, especially with Little Mango in his arms.
Ye Zhengfeng, along with Zhou Chao and the other five individuals, exited the police station and left in their cars.
Meanwhile, the few individuals who had originally entered with Ye Zhengfeng stood still, watching as they departed.
“Chief, is this child the daughter of a high-ranking official named Ye?” Captain Liu inquired of the individuals standing by the door. It became evident that these individuals were the higher-ups of the police station.
“Old Liu, you managed this situation admirably. What prompted you to personally attend to the incident that day?” The chief, positioned at the forefront, began the discussion.
“Chief, that day was my shift, and it happened to be a busy day. There was only a rookie left in the entire substation, so I went out on the call.”
“Very well done.” The chief patted Captain Liu on the shoulder, and each of them went their separate ways, leaving Captain Liu looking baffled.
The scene shifted, and Ye Zhengfeng led the group to a small, modestly decorated private restaurant.
“Little Chao, what are you doing in Peng City?”
Ye Zhengfeng’s assistant poured tea for everyone, and Zhou Chao had just taken a sip when he heard Ye Zhengfeng’s question.
“I came to Peng City this time for a meeting. Originally, I was planning to return to Modu today.”
“I can tell you’re not an ordinary fellow, and this person next to you is probably from the military, a veteran at that.” Ye Zhengfeng took a sip of tea, his eyes probing at Lin Wu who was sitting beside Zhou Chao.
“Uncle Ye is quite remarkable too.” Both of them exchanged a glance and laughed.
“Handsome uncle, why are you and my dad laughing?” Little Mango gazed at them with innocence, puzzled by the source of their amusement.
“Call him ‘brother’,” Zhou Chao lightly pinched Little Mango’s cheek, which was soft and comfortable.
“I’ve noticed that Little Mango has taken a liking to you. How about becoming her honorary uncle?” Ye Zhengfeng’s words were well-considered, given his experience in the political arena, he was skilled at assessing people’s character. Additionally, with a seasoned veteran by Zhou Chao’s side, he seemed trustworthy. Furthermore, considering Little Mango’s strong affection for Zhou Chao, it seems like a fitting role.
“But that would confuse our generational titles. Little Mango, you can call me ‘brother’ from now on, alright?”
Little Mango looked at Zhou Chao with confusion and then turned to Ye Zhengfeng.
“Little Mango, you can call him ‘brother’. Do you understand?” Ye Zhengfeng looked at Little Mango and said.
Hearing her dad say the same thing, Little Mango didn’t think too much and turned to grab Zhou Chao’s shirt.
“Brother, hee-hee,” Little Mango affectionately called out, and the room was filled with laughter.
“Alright, let’s eat. The dishes will get cold soon,” Ye Zhengfeng said, looking at the fully served dishes.
“Little Chao, how long do you plan to stay here?”
“I might be leaving tomorrow, Uncle Ye.” As Little Mango heard that Zhou Chao would leave tomorrow, she put down her chopsticks and pouted.
“Little Mango, Brother has things to take care of. When he’s done with his tasks, he’ll come and play with you again.”
“But how long will Brother be busy before coming to see Little Mango again?” Zhou Chao looked at Ye Zhengfeng with a helpless expression.
“Alright, Little Mango, when you miss your brother Chao, just go to Modu and find him.” Ye Zhengfeng’s words made Little Mango excited again, and Zhou Chao gave Ye Zhengfeng a thumbs up discreetly.
After the meal, Zhou Chao and Ye Zhengfeng exchanged phone numbers, and as they were parting ways, Ye Zhengfeng mentioned that if Zhou Chao needed help in Peng City in the future, he could give him a call.
Zhou Chao waved goodbye to Ye Zhengfeng and Little Mango, then returned to the hotel with Lin Wu..