After Xia Xiaoluo shot Wu Hou Shen Linfeng, to everyone's surprise, the entire Chinese elite class was shrouded in a strange silence.
Of course, Xia Xiaoluo didn't take the initiative to admit that he killed Wu Wuhou. Xia Xiaoluo was right, and he had the backing of the Cao family, but he didn't want the conflict to be made public. Wouldn't that be looking for trouble? After all, He killed Zhou Jiangnan's only son. Therefore, the matter was taken over by the Eastern Excalibur Special Forces in the capital of China and the National Security Bureau's MI6.
But, in fact, there are turbulent undercurrents under the calm surface. However, only a few people know about this level of game. Zhou Jiangnan was filled with grief and anger, and was so struck by the pain of losing his son that he stayed in the hospital for a month. Finally, one afternoon in early September, I sat down with Cao Pingchuan and Lin Jingfeng, two well-known figures in the Chinese military and political and economic circles.
In a sanatorium for high-ranking officials in the western suburbs of Beijing, which is affiliated to the Beijing Military Region, there is an antique teahouse.
In the ancient bronze cauldron, there is a stick of sandalwood inserted, and the straight green smoke rises slowly, exuding an indescribable fragrance, which refreshes the spirits of those who smell this smell.
The service staff in military green uniforms brought a pot of tea, poured a cup for each of the three people, and then quietly exited. Being good at observing words and expressions, she noticed the extremely depressing atmosphere in the tea room, and also With the calm but palpitating smell of gunpowder, I waved my hand and asked the guard standing at the door to go out.
There were only three people left in the tea room, Cao Pingchuan, Lin Jingfeng and Zhou Jiangnan. It was so quiet that it made people anxious. There was only the sound of tea tasting that sounded a bit exaggerated.
Zhou Jiangnan did not touch the tea. His burly body was leaning on the simply decorated sofa, seeming very tired. Finally, a trace of sadness and anger flashed across his face. He couldn't help it anymore, and spoke first, forcing Smiling, his voice even trembled slightly: "Mr. Cao, I don't know how I, Zhou Jiangnan, offended you? I actually killed you so that I, Zhou Jiangnan, could never be the queen..."
I have to admit that Cao Pingchuan feels that he can be called a military god of his generation. His heart is as if it is made of steel, which is definitely not comparable to that of others.
Faced with the questioning of Zhou Jiangnan, a figure ranked among about ten people on the power list in China, he was able to patiently finish a glass of the fine West Lake Longjing brewed in Huquan. During this period, Lin Jingfeng felt that it was a bit too rude. , he could hardly sit still, and he said slowly: "Offend me? I'll kill you?"
Zhou Jiangnan was so angry that his hands were shaking, and he tried his best to suppress the anger in his heart, and said: "Isn't it?"
"Hmph! You're still a State Councilor, but you can't speak as well as a three-year-old child!" Cao Pingchuan said unceremoniously.
Zhou Jiangnan's face turned red and white, and he was extremely angry. How could he, who was ranked so high on the Chinese power rankings, receive such direct ridicule? Chinese officialdom has always been about being subtle and prudent, speaking in subtle ways, and making all kinds of twists and turns. , There are indeed few people who speak as straightforwardly as Cao Pingchuan.
"Have I touched your son?" Cao Pingchuan sneered. "The one who killed your son was the Eastern Divine Sword Special Forces! It is a state violence agency! It represents the consciousness of the country! What does it have to do with me, Cao Pingchuan? !?"
Then, his voice rose an octave, and he said quite shockingly: "Yes, I, Cao Pingchuan, am the Minister of Defense and in charge of the army, but I am managing the army on behalf of the people and exercising power on behalf of the party and the people! I have never Treat the military as your own backyard!"
Lin Jingfeng's face was calm, but he was smiling secretly in his heart. There was a widespread rumor in the Chinese officialdom and military circles that Cao Pingchuan was an upright man. He was a tough guy from the Central Plains. He spoke straightforwardly and had unambiguous views. He could say one thing and another and even dare to say the other thing.
Disobedience to superiors. However, these are actually appearances. Cao Pingchuan actually understands the rules of Chinese officialdom very well and is a master of language. Looking at these few sentences, they appear to be courageous, strategic, well-founded, and seem very straightforward and emotional.
, in fact, choose yourself cleanly.
Zhou Jiangnan was rendered speechless by the refutation, and he opened his mouth. His face was red from suppressing it, but he was gnashing his teeth in his heart. After all, he was also the backbone of the Shanghai faction, and his energy was very huge. His son was killed for no apparent reason.
Yes, it's all a trivial matter. The most important thing is that it is a denial of his majesty and rights. It is simply a great shame and humiliation!
"Representing the country? Hahaha! It sounds grand, is it really true?" Zhou Jiangnan laughed angrily, looked out the window with burning eyes, and asked loudly. "Mr. Cao! I respect you as the veteran of the Chinese military, but,
You don’t take me from Shanghai seriously!”
Cao Pingchuan sneered in his heart, are you using Shanghai to suppress me? A bunch of young boys! Are you having a brain cramp? But he smiled on his face: "The stability and prosperity of Hong Kong before the return of the handover is more important than anything else! Huh! Friday Hou invites the world to hire
Soldiers are doing evil in Hong Kong, and people from our National Security Bureau and Special Forces Brigade have passed by, and they dare to attack us! When did our military take notice of us!"
"Don't just resort to the military. I still don't understand you two old foxes? What kind of Tianxia Group is that? It all contains shares of your Cao family and Lin family! That Xia Xiaoluo is just your agent! One mouthful is a country's people!
In fact, haha, it’s all for the one-third of an acre of land in my home!" Zhou Jiangnan was so angry that he asked with excitement on his face.
Neither Cao Pingchuan nor Lin Jingfeng spoke. Cao Pingchuan even looked at him with a smile. After a long time, he said meaningfully: "Jiangnan, you are also sixty this year, right? You can't say this nonsense, and it will spread to the Southern Patrol.
The chief will kill your head or mine..."
Zhou Jiangnan's face changed. There is indeed no evidence for what he said. He just inferred it based on the information provided by the intelligence system. This statement involves serious economic crimes and cannot be said nonsense. If it reaches the head of the Southern Patrol, it will be unavoidable.
There is a charge of affecting unity within the party.
He laughed dryly, his tone obviously softened, and said: "Old chief, I forgive Jiang Nan for being too reckless, but you also have to understand my feelings..."
Then, he almost begged: "I just want to avenge Wuhou Hou! This is my only son! Old chief, you asked me to send a man with white hair to a man with black hair, how can I endure it? I believe that Mr. Cao
You don’t want to touch my son. Did you hug him when he was a child? You are such a kind and righteous person, you will definitely not do this! I think, this must be someone’s own initiative! I only want this person’s life!
Enough!"
It was only at this moment in this tense negotiation that Cao Pingchuan felt a little psychologically disturbed. He lowered his eyes and thought to himself, this Zhou Jiangnan is not a fool.
Indeed, Zhou Jiangnan's guess was correct. They were basically inseparable. To be honest, the Cao family led by Cao Pingchuan and the Lin family led by Lin Jingfeng were both established powerful families in China. This kind of powerful family is closely related to the Zhou family in Shanghai.
There is an essential difference between these powerful families.
The patriarchs of the Cao Lin family all started working before the founding of the People's Republic of China. They participated in the founding of the Republic, the War of Liberation, and even the War of Resistance Against Japan. They can be said to be the founding fathers of the country. The Zhou family in Shanghai all started working after the founding of the People's Republic of China.
, most of them take the path of civil service promotion. However, most of them are more open-minded and more radical in their methods of accumulating personal wealth. They often form a huge industrial map in just a few years. They are absolutely different from established families like Cao Lin.
different.
The old family like Cao Lin and the Zhou Jiangnan family are not compatible with each other.
However, Cao Pingchuan would not be too quick to hate him and then die. After all, China's politics are the product of compromise. If you hit a snake, you can't use economic means to sanction it.
Using market mechanisms to eliminate their industries and power is a gentle and clever method.
Therefore, Cao Pingchuan's purpose at that time was to kill off the Zhou family's property in Hong Kong, knock down the enemy, and at the same time restrain Zhou Jiangnan, paving the way for Cao Zhiyuan to become a member of the Politburo Standing Committee. However, he did not expect that Xia Xiaoluo was so radical and killed Zhou Jiangnan with one shot.
, causing endless trouble.
Zhou Jiangnan's words are very clear and clever. That means that the Cao family has deep roots, and I can't argue with you. Besides, it's not your family's doctrine, but all the accusations are directed at one person——
Xia Xiaoluo.
Cao Pingchuan sighed secretly in his heart. Today's children are really capable and courageous. It doesn't make people worry! He was also making a drastic decision in his heart: According to Zhou Jiangnan, as long as
After killing Xia Xiaoluo, everything will be easy to talk about.
It is said that Xia Xiaoluo is just an old friend of his eldest grandson Cao Weiye, who has given his family a few small and medium-sized ideas. In several political struggles, especially in 1992, Xia Xiaoluo
He took the initiative in the discussion at the club. The rest were all about the world group, and he had never even seen this child. In one sentence, according to common sense, his feelings for Xia Xiaoluo
It shouldn't be deep.
As for Zhou Jiangnan's power, he knew it. Although he disdained cadres like Zhou Jiangnan who relied on scheming to win positions after the founding of the People's Republic of China, he knew that his future was limitless and he represented a powerful force.
.If you become enemies with him, this is no longer a matter of political struggle, but a life-and-death feud.
Killing Xia Xiaoluo is very simple. Even though he is worth tens of billions and controls a mercenary group, it is nothing compared to the huge state machine. Moreover, there are too many loopholes in his life.
However, for some reason, Cao Pingchuan, who has always been as hard as stone and as hard as iron, was reluctant to kill this child he had never met. He even did not allow anyone to hurt him or touch him. Thinking of Xia Xiaoluo, he
He thought of his own youth. What was he doing in his youth? He thought with a bit of self-deprecation, just like Xia Xiaoluo, he defended his family and country, but not as powerful as him.
For several nights, Cao Pingchuan always dreamed of a young man. He dreamed of that young man, lonely but stubborn. Who can understand the great love behind that stubborn persistence?
Silence, a long silence.
Finally, Cao Pingchuan seemed to have made up his mind. He smiled scornfully and said proudly: "If you want to kill the heads of Eastern Divine Sword and the National Security Bureau, simply go to the military court and sue! The door there will always be open for you!
"
Zhou Jiangnan's sinister eyes flashed with a fierce and fierce light, and his lips trembled with anger. He gritted his teeth and smiled, his face was a little distorted, and said: "Okay, okay! You don't want to kill me!"
Commit suicide yourself! Mr. Cao, you have to remember that I, Zhou Jiangnan, am not a vegetarian in Chinese officialdom! Dogs have dog paths, cats have cat paths, and you are not the only ones with guns at the Ministry of National Defense and the Military Commission! Xia Xiaoluo’s life,
It’ll be gone soon!”
"Hahahaha!" Cao Pingchuan smiled brightly. "Okay! Then let me see it!"
Zhou Jiangnan said coldly: "My son was killed by him. Even if I don't want this old life, I will kill him!"
Cao Pingchuan slammed the table, stood up, and said as calmly as possible: "Xiao Zhou, if you want to be stubborn, I won't stop you. However, I remember that you seem to have a child... As far as I know, in
Switzerland?"
While Zhou Jiangnan was shaking violently, whether because of anger or fear, Cao Pingchuan said: "Send the guest off."
A guard with two bars and four stars walked in from outside the door. He stretched out his arm and made a gesture of invitation: "Sister Zhou, please move."
Zhou Jiangnan gave Cao Pingchuan a vicious look and walked out the door. At the door, he even stumbled and almost fell to the ground. The usually elegant man cursed "Fuck" and walked away angrily.
Zhou Jiangnan got into his black Hongqi car, and the car started quickly. He rubbed his temples tiredly, was silent for a long time, and said to the secretary with a concerned look on his face: "Contact me Fuka Mitsui from the Mitsui Foundation..."
In the tea room, Lin Jingfeng took a sip of the tasteless West Lake Longjing, smacked his lips, and said half-heartedly: "Old Cao, is it worth offending the popular Shanghai people for a child?"
Cao Pingchuan, wearing a tussah silk military uniform, stood up straight and looked out the window at the brilliant rose flowers in bloom. He raised his eyes and looked at the sky. Suddenly, thunder rang out in the gloomy sky, and huge raindrops fell one after another.
There were deep water marks left on the glass window.
He took a deep breath and said: "If it can be replaced, I am willing to exchange the strength of a military region for a talent like Xia Xiaoluo in China! Do you think...is it worth it?"
"Hehe... Great China needs a few people like this!" Lin Jingfeng moved his thin body to the window and said, he glanced at Cao Weiye with a smile. "We old guys can't do it anymore, from now on we will
We have to rely on little guys like them. All we can do is help the horses and give them a ride."
"I hope this kid won't disappoint us..." The two important figures in China said almost in unison, with a hint of desolation of a hero in his twilight years, but more importantly, endless hope for the new forces.