When Jiang Feng and Chu Feifei finally found the small river on the island and solved the freshwater crisis, as the new day came, Situ Yan had not given up hope of searching and rescuing the two of them.
She called Mu Jianmin again, asking him to urge his superiors to continue dispatching rescue boats to search for Jiang Feng and Chu Feifei.
Mu Jianmin felt helpless about this. Now that a day and night had passed since the typhoon yesterday, everyone knew the chances of those two surviving were slim. And if they had drowned in the sea, their bodies might have been eaten by sea fish long ago—where would they still be found?
But Mu Jianmin knew the relationship between Situ Yan and Jiang Feng well and couldn't refuse her request. He had no choice but to ask his superiors again to continue dispatching rescue boats for the search.
Situ Yan even put aside her current job. Today, she was determined to personally board a rescue boat and go out to sea to search for Jiang Feng!
...
At the same time, a military off-road vehicle with special license plates drove into the base of a maritime unit stationed in Binhai, Jiangdong Province. After the sentinel verified the identities, they were allowed entry and parked directly in the base's courtyard.
Then, a handsome young man in crisp military attire strode into a small red villa.
"Jing Jie, you're here. The old chief has been waiting for you!"
A competent secretary came out to greet the young man with a smile.
"How's Grandpa's health recently?" The man, Situ Jingjie, who was also Situ Yan's cousin, asked the secretary.
"It's okay. The old chief's temper has always been not good, but after receiving your call last night, his mood improved a lot," the secretary replied with a smile.
Situ Jingjie also smiled: "The arm can't twist the thigh. Sooner or later, she will have to compromise with the family when she needs them!"
"Yes, indeed." The secretary knew well the affairs of the Situ Family but, as an outsider, could not intervene much. He just smiled and echoed a couple of times, then led Situ Jingjie to the old chief's office.
The secretary respectfully knocked on the door, and a deep voice immediately sounded from inside: "Come in!"
"Jing Jie, you go in. I'll be outside. Call me if you need anything." The secretary said to Situ Jingjie.
"Thanks, Brother Xun." Situ Jingjie nodded politely, then opened the door and entered the office energetically.
In the clean and bright office, two small red flags stood on a broad desk, one being the party flag and the other the national flag. Behind the desk sat an elder with graying temples but a spirited demeanor. This was the pillar of the Situ Family, Situ Zhenjiang, who held the top position in the maritime unit stationed in Binhai.
"Grandpa." Situ smiled and walked closer with a flattering smile.
"Sit down. Tell me what's going on, and why did she call you proactively?" Situ Zhenjiang, dealing with numerous affairs every day, didn't spend much thought on his granddaughter, so he was not as well-informed about many things as Situ Jingjie was.
"Grandpa, it's like this..."
Then, Situ Jingjie recounted the phone call from Situ Yan the day before, along with all the information he had gathered about her over a long period, exactly as it happened, to the Old Man.
"What a disgrace! My granddaughter, Situ Zhenjiang's, actually fell in love with a married man and even lowered her head to me for him. It's a complete loss of the Situ Family's face!" Situ Zhenjiang said angrily after hearing it, his face turning livid!
To say, Situ Yan, born into a military family, was once the most beloved granddaughter of Situ Zhenjiang. He did not look down on her for being a girl but rather raised her as a boy and even planned out her future.
But unexpectedly, Situ Yan did not completely follow Situ Zhenjiang's plans as she grew up, particularly favoring the career of an action officer. So, she secretly enrolled in a school that specialized in training action officers without her family's knowledge.
Afterward, knowing about it almost made Situ Zhenjiang fall seriously ill!
Later, Situ Yan graduated, donned her uniform instead of military attire, and Situ Zhenjiang couldn't manage her anymore.
Then, when Situ Yan reached marriageable age, Situ Zhenjiang decided to marry her into the He Family.
The He Family was considered a prominent and prestigious family throughout Jiangdong. Many young members within the Gate Valve had already made their mark in various fields within the province, while the older generation was not only not stepping down but was even expected to make further achievements and possibly enter higher levels of power.
Therefore, even for the Situ Family, marrying into the He Family was considered reaching high, but coincidentally, a young member of the He Family also took a liking to Situ Yan, and the two families hit it off—they almost formed an alliance between wealthy families!
However, it was unexpected that Situ Yan strongly resisted this marriage, even with anger, she ran away from home and broke off with the family!
This left Situ Zhenjiang humiliated and unable to explain to the He Family!
Unexpectedly, this time Situ Yan actually yielded and was willing to submit to Situ Zhenjiang's arrangement, to obey for the sake of a married man she stood low for. This unexpected turn of events also gave Situ Zhenjiang a glimpse of hope in his awkward situation.
"I just fear that girl is only temporarily compliant, agreeing now but later retracting it, or even if she enters the He Family's door, not living well with them, we would still end up passive." Situ Zhenjiang, after some contemplation, expressed his concerns.
"That won't happen. I had a thorough discussion with her yesterday, and she promised me not to break her word. Although she has always been assertive since childhood, with a somewhat stubborn and rebellious character, she rarely fails to keep her promises." Situ Jingjie was not worried about Situ Yan reneging. In any case, as long as Situ Yan compromised, the family would have ways to deal with her, even if they had to carry her into the family in a sedan chair.
"Heh, that's true. However, asking me to send a warship to search for two people at sea is still too far-fetched. A military operation is not a child's play; sending troops without a valid reason is a big taboo. I don't want to be caught by someone else." Situ Zhenjiang frowned.
"Grandfather, I have thought about this too. Actually, it can't be considered sending out warships specifically for search and rescue; it can be just incidental—as these days happen to coincide with naval exercises in Binhai North City Bay, it can be done during the exercise, patrolling that sea area and conveniently searching for them. In this way, no one can say anything, and Sister Yan will also feel that we did our best, leaving her nothing to complain about." Situ Jingjie suggested.
"This is indeed a solution. Actually, two living people entering the sea during a typhoon—what's the likely result? Doesn't that girl know? She just doesn't want to accept reality." Situ Zhenjiang said indifferently, "Let's do it according to your idea, shut her mouth, and make her go home quietly."
"Yes!" Situ Jingjie nodded and then took his leave to start handling the matter.
Situ Zhenjiang leaned back in his chair alone. His brows still did not relax, and he squinted out the window for a while before speaking meaningfully: "What a pity, I've never met that Jiang fellow, and now I have no chance to meet him—otherwise, I would really want to see what kind of extraordinary man could enchant my granddaughter enough to risk her entire life!"