"Hello? Qi Li, calling me at this hour? What's going on?"
Jiang Hai frowned in confusion as he glanced at the caller ID. It was just after ten in the morning. He had finished his usual stroll around the manor, eaten breakfast, and was feeling rather relaxed. Considering the thirteen-hour time difference between Eastern Time and Imperial Time, it was already eleven at night in the Imperial Capital.
At that hour, Qi Li should have been asleep.
Ever since reaching an understanding with Jiang Hai, she'd become much more balanced—no longer overworking herself or sacrificing rest for her career.
Du Ning had helped her create a fixed daily routine. Qi Li would wake up around six, do some yoga—she preferred it to her sister's more intense workouts—and start her workday by eight. Du Ning now served as both her assistant and bodyguard, and although they lived together, they still had separate rooms.
Qi Li would work until about eleven, then call Jiang Hai for a short video chat—it would be ten in the evening for him. They'd talk for ten minutes before hanging up. After lunch, she'd work until five, visit one of the four restaurants to inspect operations, have dinner, watch TV, do some paperwork, and go to bed around ten.
That was her normal schedule.
So why was she calling him now, at eleven o'clock at night?
"Huh… something's happened," Qi Li said, her tone mixed with exhaustion and relief. "I just got word—our plane's been detained."
Jiang Hai froze. "Detained? What do you mean detained?"
Before she could answer, another call popped up on his screen—Zheng Jin was calling him too.
"Zheng Jin's calling," Jiang Hai said quickly to Qi Li.
"Let's do a three-way video call," Qi Li said firmly. Whatever this was, it was serious.
Jiang Hai nodded and merged the calls. Within moments, the faces of Qi Li and Zheng Jin appeared on his screen.
"Jiang Hai, bad news," Zheng Jin said gravely. "Our plane's been seized by the South Koreans."
Only after speaking did she notice Qi Li was also on the call.
"I just found out too," Qi Li said, her expression tense. "I was about to tell Jiang Hai when you called. Seems we got the news at the same time."
"Wait—did you say the South Koreans seized our plane?" Jiang Hai's brows knitted together. He had just finalized a business deal with that country recently. What on earth were they trying to pull?
"Yes," Zheng Jin confirmed. "We're certain it's them. The plane was carrying thirty tons of frozen beef, bound for China this week."
The words made Jiang Hai's eyes narrow. "Are they… asking for trouble?"
"I heard the plane had engine trouble and made an emergency landing in South Korea for maintenance," Qi Li explained. "But after it landed, the authorities claimed we were carrying contraband. They've seized both the aircraft and the cargo—and detained the crew."
That shouldn't have happened. Stopovers for maintenance were common on long international routes.
Commercial flights between the U.S. and China often made emergency landings for repairs. Jiang Hai had never personally experienced such an incident, but he knew they happened from time to time.
However, a country seizing a plane mid-transit? That was unheard of—no wonder Qi Li had called in the middle of the night.
"The cargo passed customs in both the U.S. and China. There's no issue there," Qi Li said, frustration creeping into her voice. "It's the South Koreans stirring up trouble. I just got a notice that their officials have requested a legal representative from our company to handle it."
At that moment, Valentina appeared beside Zheng Jin, handing her a document. From her expression, it wasn't good news.
After scanning the paper, Zheng Jin's face darkened. She looked up at Jiang Hai. "Their target… might be you."
Jiang Hai gave a cold, humorless chuckle. "I thought so."
It wasn't hard to guess why. A few days ago, he hadn't even begun planting his new pasture. Among the seventeen factions involved, all except Du Famen and Luke Shawn had requested to visit his estate. Jiang Hai had refused them entry, allowing only soil and grass samples for observation.
He knew exactly what they were after—but he was confident his secrets were safe. Still, it seemed the South Koreans had found something—or at least thought they had—and were now using this as leverage to lure him into their country as a "guest."
Whether it was a setup or an ambush remained to be seen.
South Korean politics were notoriously murky. Before this, even if they'd invited him formally, Jiang Hai wouldn't have gone. But now, with his plane and people detained, he couldn't simply ignore it.
His situation was complicated. For one, he wasn't running a massive corporation—his operations were mostly independent. Even if he wanted to lean on Pra Walton's influence, Walmart's stance wasn't firm enough.
And although Jiang Hai was wealthy in the United States, he was still Chinese. In China, he had no property or corporate base, meaning neither government would likely intervene on his behalf.
He could either fight this himself—or give up the plane and cargo.
But Jiang Hai wasn't the kind of man to swallow humiliation.
"Jiang Hai, you can't go!" Qi Li said sharply after a moment's silence. But seeing his faint smile, she sighed. She already knew he had made up his mind.
"They work for me," Jiang Hai said calmly. "If my people are detained, I have to go see for myself. But since I suspect they're targeting me, Zheng Jin—you go first. Contact them officially through the company. Find out their intentions. I'll follow… quietly."
He paused, eyes narrowing. "One in the open, one in the shadows. Let's see what game they're playing. If things turn bad, I'll find a way out."
"No," both women said in unison before he could finish.
Zheng Jin fell silent, waiting for Qi Li to speak.
"You know they're after you," Qi Li said seriously. "If you go secretly, it's dangerous. You're dealing with a nation, not some underground group. They might not be as closed-off as North Korea, but if they want to cause trouble inside their borders, you won't be able to escape quietly."
Her tone hardened. "So if you go, do it openly. Loudly. Make it public—make a scene. When the world's watching, they won't dare to touch you."
Jiang Hai blinked, then smacked his forehead lightly. She was right. No matter how strong he was, he was still one man. If they moved against him in secret, even if he escaped, it would be dangerous.
But if he went openly, under international scrutiny, they wouldn't dare risk their reputation.
Even North Korea, infamous for detaining foreigners, had treated Dennis Rodman like royalty when he arrived with media attention. Public pressure was power—and South Korea, which prided itself on being a "developed democracy," wouldn't risk global outrage.
Qi Li's logic was sound. Jiang Hai nodded slowly. "You're right. Alright then—I'll send a letter under my name and ask them directly what they're trying to do."
Qi Li finally exhaled in relief, though her brows soon furrowed again. "Then how do we make this public? How do we make it a big deal?"
She knew Jiang Hai's influence was mostly local—limited to Winthrop and Boston, hardly enough to stir national attention. Making this international would be tricky.
But Jiang Hai smiled faintly. "Don't worry. For me… making a big deal out of something isn't that difficult."