Chapter 5: A Family Crisis?

"I will see if I can secure some special equipment or extra support for you."

"Things like stab-proof vests or high-performance flashlights."

"These might be able to help you at a critical moment."

"However, let's leave that for later."

"Go report for duty first."

"When should I report?"

Lin Weiquan glanced at his watch. "Today is Friday, so let's say next Monday."

"You can leave work early today."

Having said this, Lin Weiquan paused deliberately.

Then, with a double meaning in his tone, he added, "You should go back and take a look."

Jiang Zhaoyang thought to himself, there seems to be some hidden meaning in this guy's words.

Could something have happened at home?

At this thought, he was suddenly startled, his heart sinking.

An ominous premonition welled up in his mind.

After leaving Lin Weiquan’s office, Jiang Zhaoyang hurried toward the bike shed.

His motorcycle was parked there.

Reaching the shed, Jiang Zhaoyang hurriedly pulled his phone from his slightly tight suit pocket.

His fingers trembled slightly due to an inexplicable anxiety.

The moment the screen lit up, Jiang Zhaoyang’s gaze froze—there were fifteen missed calls.

These numbers felt like fifteen undetonated bombs ready to explode, detonating with a deafening roar in his heart.

Excluding five calls from He Di, all the others were from his mother, Zhou Jing.

An indescribable panic, like the tide in the dead of night, surged into Jiang Zhaoyang’s heart, silent yet unstoppable.

His heart sank heavily, as if gripped tightly by an invisible giant hand, leaving him unable to breathe.

An ominous premonition swirled in his mind, refusing to fade—could something truly unpredictable have happened at home?

Once this thought took root, it spread like a wildfire to every cell in his body.

His face turned pale in an instant.

Just then, he subconsciously checked his phone settings, hoping to find a logical explanation amidst this chaos.

When his eyes fell on the word "Silent," all his doubts were answered.

It turned out that on his way to the Discipline Inspection Commission, he had set his phone to silent mode to avoid interrupting the upcoming serious conversation.

This action, in hindsight, had become the greatest obstacle to communication between him and his family.

No wonder he hadn't heard the ringtone.

Jiang Zhaoyang took a deep breath, his fingertips dancing quickly across the screen.

Jiang Zhaoyang dialed his mother, Zhou Jing, directly.

He asked if something sudden had happened at home.

When the call connected, Zhou Jing’s voice was filled with hesitation and unease.

Like a withered leaf swaying in the autumn wind, she sounded fragile and tremulous: "Son... you'll know when you get back."

These words caused Jiang Zhaoyang’s heart to tighten.

"Mom, can't you tell me over the phone?" Jiang Zhaoyang’s voice betrayed his anxiety.

"Son, it's not something that can be explained in a few words," Zhou Jing sighed on the other end, her reply vague.

"Today is the weekend, aren't you coming back?"

"Come home, and Mom will tell you in person."

He could hear his mother was in low spirits, and he sensed that something had definitely changed at home.

He comforted her, "Mom, there’s no obstacle we can't overcome. I'm coming back right now!"

"Just wait for me!"

Zhou Jing responded with a sob: "Zhaoyang, you must come back quickly, Mom is waiting for you..."

However, before she could finish her sentence, the faint light on Jiang Zhaoyang’s phone screen suddenly went dark.

With a soft "beep," the phone automatically powered off.

The urgency and worry in her heart were ruthlessly isolated outside this cold electronic device.

Without his phone, the connection to his mother was severed.

How could he possibly be at ease?

Anxiety flooded Jiang Zhaoyang’s heart.

Without a second thought, he turned and sprinted back toward his office.

Back in the office, he frantically searched his drawers and desk, hoping the familiar charger would appear before him.

But when he finally found that small charging head, a sense of bitterness washed over him—even if he plugged it in now, it would take at least half an hour to charge.

And on his mother's end, every second could be an ordeal.

He was eager to head home!

Jiang Zhaoyang felt as if he were being roasted by flames.

How could he be willing to wait through this long charging process?

Just then, his gaze inadvertently swept across a corner of the desk.

There, a brand-new phone lay quietly on a charging stand, its battery level nearly full.

Moreover, the model and appearance of the phone were identical to his own.

It was as if it were a savior prepared specifically for him.

"Got it!" A spark ignited in Jiang Zhaoyang’s heart, and he made a quick decision.

He carefully removed the fully charged phone and placed his own on the cable, setting it on the stand.

Although this was somewhat improper, the situation was urgent, and he couldn't afford to worry about such things.

He silently offered an apology to the colleague who had yet to return.

He decided to borrow this phone for a couple of days. After all, his colleague could use his phone in an emergency; it was a win-win situation.

With his mind made up, Jiang Zhaoyang grabbed the phone, no longer able to suppress his inner urgency.

He felt as if he were being pulled by an invisible force.

He bolted out of the office like a sprinter.

Reaching his motorcycle, Jiang Zhaoyang swung onto the seat and twisted the throttle; the engine roared to life.

In an instant, the motorcycle shot out of the town government compound like an arrow released from a bow, leaving behind a trail of dissipating exhaust.

The motorcycle sped along the mountain road.

The weather forecast had warned of thunderstorms in the afternoon.

He had to get home before the storm hit.

Jiang Zhaoyang’s home was in the county seat.

The motorcycle continued to weave through the mountains and forests.

With every turn, he drew one step closer to that warm harbor.

Jiang Zhaoyang calculated the time in his mind.

At his current speed, it would take only ten more minutes to clear this lush forest and return to the place he longed for.

His mind already conjured images of his mother busy in the kitchen and the familiar, delicious dishes on the dining table.

However, the sky, which had just been bright, turned black as if stained by massive amounts of ink.

Dark clouds gathered, accompanied by thunder and lightning.

Jiang Zhaoyang’s heart sank abruptly.

An ominous premonition welled up; he knew things were taking a turn for the worse.

Jiang Zhaoyang gripped the handlebars tightly.

He pressed the throttle to the floor without mercy.

The motorcycle raced toward the county seat like a bolt of lightning.

The wind whistled past his ears, and the trees and scenery on the roadside retreated rapidly.

Yet, bolts of lightning tore through the sky.

Accompanied by a deep, rumbling roar, it felt as if the entire world were trembling, sending a chill down his spine.

Just then, an exceptionally dazzling fireball suddenly ripped through the dark clouds.

With destructive power, it struck down with lightning speed.