Chapter 156: The Trial

"Hey, Long Fei, why are you two being so secretive? What is he trying to get from you?" Ye Qian asked curiously, leaning closer to Long Fei.

Long Fei stood up, blinked mysteriously, leaned right up to Ye Qian, brought his mouth close to her ear, and said ambiguously, "Do you really want to know?"

A slight blush crept onto Ye Qian's face, though she did not pull away. Feeling the warm breath Long Fei gently exhaled against her ear, she felt her whole body grow somewhat hot. Although she could not see it, she knew her face must be burning red, and her heart was pounding uncontrollably for no reason. She had rarely ever been in such close contact with Long Fei—excluding that time in the grove, of course, because that was an accident, and under those circumstances and conditions, she certainly couldn't have felt this kind of thrill and excitement.

Even though Ye Qian was quite bold and fierce, deep down she still possessed a bit of maidenly sentiment, so she was prone to shyness. Yet, even in her embarrassment, she had no intention of pulling her head away. Instead, she said nervously, "Well, go on then."

"I'm not telling you." Long Fei chuckled, turned around, and walked out of the dining room, with Gouzi hurriedly following behind him.

"What did he say?" Ye Qian saw Tieniu staring at her with an honest, goofy smile.

Tieniu also stood up, and as he walked toward the exit, he said, "Brother Long said he won't tell you."

It was only then that Ye Qian seemed to snap back to her senses. Fortunately, there weren't many people dining in the restaurant, otherwise she truly wouldn't have known where to hide her face. Still, even if the restaurant was empty, there were still waiters around, and she constantly felt as though people were pointing and laughing at her. Although she hadn't finished her meal, she was too embarrassed to stay seated a moment longer, so she quickly jumped to her feet and chased after Long Fei.

Damn Long Fei, I hate you to death.

Ye Qian cursed angrily in her mind, yet she felt a somewhat unexplainable surge of excitement. She was still lingering on the sensation of Long Fei leaning in close just moments before, finding it hard to understand why she actually seemed to enjoy that feeling a little.

Long Fei probably never dreamed that just by blowing a gentle breath and making a joke, he would stir the heart of this young girl.

At nine o'clock in the morning, Long Fei's hotel room door was knocked on punctually. Without even needing to guess, Long Fei knew it was the person sent by Wu Jin to pick them up. After giving Gouzi a heads-up, the two opened the door and stepped outside. Sure enough, although the man was dressed in casual clothes, his posture and tone of speech immediately gave away that he was a professional soldier. Upon asking, it was just as he had expected—the fellow was not only a soldier, but an officer holding the rank of colonel.

Exiting the Beijing Hotel, a Red Flag sedan was parked in the parking lot. Both Long Fei and Gouzi were invited into the vehicle, and the young officer personally drove them, passing through Chang'an Avenue and heading toward Xinhua Gate.

Along the way, Long Fei attempted to converse with the officer, but he was mostly ignored. This left Long Fei in a somewhat unpleasant mood. However, considering the destination he was heading to today, he ultimately decided not to flare up at the officer. Between Xidan in Beijing and the Tiananmen Rostral, along the north side of Chang'an Avenue, stood a red wall several hundred meters long and over six meters high. Framed by a row of green trees and red lanterns, the red wall radiated a profound sense of historical weight.

Outside the red wall, travelers who had wandered to this spot were taking photos against it as a backdrop to commemorate their visit. Inside the red wall lay the famous Zhongnanhai. Located at the very center of the Chinese capital of Beijing, this compound served as the office location for the Central Committee and the State Council, making it truly the beating heart of China's political activities.

Zhongnanhai is a collective term for Lake Zhonghai and Lake Nanhai, situated on the west side of the Forbidden City. It covers an area of about 1,500 mu, with the water surface accounting for 700 mu. The "hai" (sea) in Zhongnanhai is an abbreviation of the Mongolian word "haizi," meaning a body of water. Because it is located in the south-central sector of Beijing, it has been called Zhongnanhai—a name that originated in the Yuan Dynasty and has continued to be used to this day.

Reaching Xinhua Gate via Chang'an Avenue, a flag fluttered high at the entrance, and sentinels stood at solemn attention beside the grand gate. Catching sight of Long Fei's approaching vehicle from afar, a guard made a hand gesture, and the officer brought the car to a screeching halt.

The guard on duty meticulously checked the officer's credentials before finally giving a salute and letting them pass.

Ziguang Pavilion sits on the northwest bank of Lake Zhonghai. The two-story pavilion features a seven-bay wide facade, a single-eave hip roof, yellow-trimmed green glazed tiles, and is fronted by a five-bay rolled-gable resting-mountain porch.

Behind Ziguang Pavilion stands Wucheng Hall, featuring a five-bay wide facade and a single-eave rolled-gable resting-mountain roof.

After Long Fei was brought here, the officer did not escort him any further inside. Instead, he said to Long Fei with great seriousness, "Director Wu is waiting for you inside. Please go in by yourself. I have other business to attend to and must be leaving."

Being dropped off like this, Long Fei was momentarily stunned. After a brief moment of thought, however, he began to understand and chuckled to his companion, "Well, how about that? Never been to a place like this before, have you?"

Gouzi was also looking around in all directions, grinning as he said, "I gotta say, Brother Fei, those ancient emperors really knew how to live. The scenery of the place they picked is gorgeous, and the geomancy is fantastic too. It's just that this White Tiger illuminating the hall layout has been disrupted by those apartment buildings in the eastern suburbs. Even so, this can still be considered a blessed land of prime feng shui."

"Since when did you learn how to read feng shui?" Long Fei laughed.

"Just a little bit, only a tiny bit." Gouzi smiled as well.

Long Fei joked aloud, but in his heart, he knew better. Gouzi's study of feng shui dated back to his childhood—long before the old man had even taken him in—so he certainly didn't know just "a tiny bit." He was likely more of a master than many who grandly proclaimed themselves to be one.

Although there were guards posted outside Zhongnanhai, once they truly entered the grounds, the security checks were actually less stringent than the perimeter. Long Fei was puzzled at first, but gradually came to understand. Passing successively through two doorways, Long Fei pointed toward the third door leading into the grand hall and smiled at Gouzi, "Well? Feeling confident you can get through?"

Gouzi had already sensed that someone was lying in ambush just beyond this final door, and their cultivation level did not seem low. Clearly, this was a test set up for them by Wu Jin. As for why he would do such a thing, Long Fei wasn't entirely clear.

"Don't worry, Brother Fei." Gouzi walked in front, with Long Fei following behind. When they were still five meters away from the doorway, Long Fei stopped and told Gouzi, "Be careful."

Nodding, Gouzi took a cautious step across the threshold with one foot. However, no sooner had he stepped in than he instantly leaped back. A fierce blast of wind brushed past his side—someone had clearly launched a sneak attack, prompting Gouzi's immediate retreat. Yet, after pausing only for a brief moment, he stepped across the threshold a second time. This time, his speed was even slower than before. He struck out with a single palm toward the right, exchanging a blow with the hidden assailant. Gouzi's body stiffened and shuddered slightly, but he finally managed to cross through smoothly.

Only then did Long Fei leisurely walk up to the entrance. Looking inside, he saw that Gouzi was already locked in combat with a young man. The two exchanged blows with fists and kicks in a lively display of martial prowess, their internal energy surging as they brought their full strength to bear. Long Fei blinked; it seemed he had indeed underestimated the opponent's strength. Long Fei knew Gouzi's abilities quite well—while not quite a match for Long Fei himself, Gouzi unquestionably deserved to be called an expert, otherwise he and Tieniu wouldn't have earned the moniker of the "Black and White Twin Killers" in the underworld. Yet at this moment, although Gouzi had gained the upper hand, defeating his opponent in a short time did not seem easy.

Both men favored rapid attacks and hard-hitting kung fu. After fifty exchanges, Gouzi's advantage became even more pronounced. Although the young man could still manage counter-attacks, he was now mostly on the defensive, and sweat was actually beading on his forehead.

Long Fei was willing to bet that within another hundred moves, Gouzi would undoubtedly have the capacity to defeat the young man. However, it seemed Gouzi wouldn't get the chance: two middle-aged men had just walked out of the hall. The one in front Long Fei did not recognize, but the one walking behind him was none other than Wu Jin.

Wu Jin's expression carried a hint of shock. Seeing that Xiong San, the beloved subordinate of Qin Tianzhu, was on the verge of defeat, he quickly shouted at the top of his lungs, "Stop!"

Xiong San executed one final probing attack and hurriedly leaped backward. Gouzi was a sensible person; although he felt it a pity to break off the fight just like that, he knew when to exercise discretion. With a trace of reluctance, he hopped back behind Long Fei and shot a cold sneer at Xiong San.

"What is going on here? Why did you two start fighting out of nowhere?" Even though Wu Jin had clearly arranged it on purpose, he now feigned ignorance.

Long Fei smiled. "We have no idea either. Is he one of your men?"

Ignoring Long Fei, Wu Jin turned to Xiong San and demanded, "Xiong San, why did you two start fighting?"

"I saw these two acting somewhat suspicious, so I thought they were trying to—"

Xiong San's words were cut short by Wu Jin. "He is a guest I invited! Oh, by the way, where is Jiang Tao? Didn't I tell him to go pick you up?" The latter question was directed at Long Fei.

Only then did Long Fei realize that the officer who had picked them up earlier was named Jiang Tao. Knowing full well this was just an excuse made up by Wu Jin, Long Fei played along with a smile, "Since it's a misunderstanding, let's drop it. Jiang Tao probably had an urgent matter to attend to and left, telling us to come in on our own."

"Ah, yes, yes, yes, a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding! Alright, come on inside, let's talk indoors." Wu Jin smoothly used the opening to invite the two of them inside.

The moment Qin Tianzhu stepped out, he kept his eyes fixed on Long Fei. Ever since seeing Long Fei, he had a very strange feeling in his heart—a sense of deja vu. Xiong San had been arranged by him; although they hadn't truly tested Long Fei's depth, Gouzi's performance had given him a rough understanding of Long Fei's capabilities. Yet, for some inexplicable reason, he felt a sudden surge of goodwill toward Long Fei, though he couldn't explain why.

Although Long Fei hadn't spoken a single word to Qin Tianzhu, even while conversing with Wu Jin, he had been secretly observing Qin Tianzhu all along. His intuition told him that the middle-aged man standing beside Wu Jin was no ordinary person. Especially when passing close to Qin Tianzhu, he felt a tremendous wave of pressure. Yet when facing Qin Tianzhu's smile, Long Fei similarly experienced a bizarre sensation—an odd feeling he couldn't quite put into words.

The two were ushered into the hall and seated. Wu Jin summoned a guard to brew a cup of tea for both Long Fei and Gouzi, then asked with a solemn expression, "And this is?"

He was pointing at Gouzi. Clearly, he felt Gouzi's presence was somewhat inappropriate. The matter at hand today was of monumental importance; if news were to leak, it would be no small affair—diplomatic fallout was guaranteed, and it might even trigger even greater troubles.

Long Fei smiled and said, "It's fine. He's my brother, someone I absolute trust. There's no need for him to step aside, is there?"

Wu Jin remained somewhat uneasy and glanced at Qin Tianzhu beside him, clearly seeking his opinion.

"Very well," Qin Tianzhu consented.

"Ah, let me introduce you. This is the special consultant of our Ministry of State Security, General Qin Tianzhu." Pointing at Qin Tianzhu, Wu Jin made the introduction for Long Fei.

A jolt ran through Long Fei's heart, and his expression inevitably shifted. Taking a careful look at Qin Tianzhu, he recalled the pressure he had felt earlier when walking past him, and his realization clicked into place. He began to re-evaluate Qin Tianzhu. Although he had previously reviewed Qin Tianzhu's profile, meeting the man in person still shocked him and felt somewhat surreal. He simply couldn't connect the legendary top crown prince of Beijing from twenty years ago with the middle-aged man before him whose hair was already turning gray. Didn't his file state that he was less than fifty years old? Why had he aged into this state?

"You are Qin Tianzhu?" Long Fei blurted out instinctively.

Qin Tianzhu smiled faintly. "That's right, I am Qin Tianzhu. And you must be Long Fei?"

That statement was practically a non-answer.

The two stared at each other for a long while before finally bursting into laughter simultaneously. Long Fei touched the Azure Dragon ring on his left thumb, a gesture intended to demonstrate a show of force toward Qin Tianzhu. Regrettably, Qin Tianzhu didn't seem angry in the least, nor did he show any basic emotional fluctuation, which left Long Fei somewhat disappointed.

"By the way, I wonder how Mr. and Mrs. Ye Wenwan are living?" In truth, Qin Tianzhu had always kept a secret watch on the life of the Ye couple, knowing full well they were doing quite well. Yet upon encountering Long Fei, he still couldn't resist asking.

Although Long Fei was well aware of the public case from twenty years ago, Qin Tianzhu's inquiry instantly connected many dots that he hadn't fully understood before. With a half-smile, he looked at Qin Tianzhu and mocked, "Whether they're living well or not, you should know much better than I do. I've only known them for two months, whereas you guys must have known each other for over twenty years. And as far as I know, weren't you originally very good friends?"

A flash of guilt crossed Qin Tianzhu's eyes, though it vanished instantly. He averted his gaze from Long Fei's piercing stare for a moment before finally letting out a somewhat forced laugh, "We were friends to begin with—we were twenty years ago, and we still are twenty years later."

"Do you really consider them friends?" Long Fei smiled, his expression meaningful and tinged with sarcasm.

Qin Tianzhu's aura suddenly turned oppressive, entirely different from his demeanor moments before. He stared coldly at Long Fei and said, "Whatever I, Qin Tianzhu, say is always black and white. If I say we are, then we are."

Long Fei was startled. *Good grief, it seems this guy is truly extraordinary.* No wonder the old man had fallen into his hands back then! Yet, despite his inner shock, Long Fei didn't let it show on his face. He channeled his internal energy to resist the oppressive aura radiating from Qin Tianzhu. After a long moment, once Qin Tianzhu had reined in his aura, Long Fei said calmly, "Do you feel that there are many things in this world that are simply beyond your control? For instance, even when people are friends, even when they are brothers, sometimes they still end up turning on each other like siblings fighting?"

"Did Qi Xiaoyun teach you that?" Qin Tianzhu gave a bitter laugh inwardly.

Seeing that Long Fei didn't answer, Qin Tianzhu continued, "What happened twenty years ago wasn't as simple as you imagine. Qi Xiaoyun's character is something I know best of all. Besides, what's past is past, and I don't wish to bring it up again. However, you're right—there are indeed many things in this world that don't go the way we want them to."

Wu Jin understood a thing or two about the controversy from twenty years ago, and at this moment, he felt rather awkward sitting nearby. Seeing that both Long Fei and Qin Tianzhu were trading verbal barbs without yielding an inch—and knowing Qin Tianzhu was someone he could not afford to offend, while the Ye family's young man was equally troublesome—Wu Jin dared not side with either party. Eager to act as a peacemaker, he quickly chimed in, "Alright, Consultant Qin, Long Fei, you two shouldn't drag this out any further. If you want to reminisce, you can arrange another time for it, haha! Let's get down to business today first. Long Fei, hand over what you brought!"

Long Fei was feeling somewhat unhappy at the moment. When he first walked in, Wu Jin had arranged for someone to test him, and now, based on a single word from him, Wu Jin expected him to hand over the item just like that. It genuinely rubbed Long Fei the wrong way, so he asked with feigned difficulty, "Just like that?"

Wu Jin was stunned. "What do you mean?"

"I risked my old life to get this item. You're saying I should just hand it over to you on your say-so? Furthermore, it seems you don't hold me in very high regard, do you?" Long Fei sneered.

"Oh, you misunderstood. Think about it: if we were to make a huge public spectacle out of receiving an item you've gifted to the country, wouldn't letting word slip place the nation at a disadvantage? Rest assured, I understand your concerns. Once we finish handling this matter, I will naturally take you to see the people you wish to meet. To be frank, they are currently staying not far from here. Surely you can understand that?" Wu Jin smiled apologetically at Long Fei.

That was music to Long Fei's ears. On second thought, it made sense: if the top leaders of the country were to personally meet him and word of it leaked, it would inevitably strip China of diplomatic leeway and pretexts.

"Fine, I can understand that. But let me make things clear beforehand: I am handing this item over to the country, not gifting it to any individual. If anyone dares to use it to damage China's interests, I won't let them off even if they run to the ends of the earth," Long Fei sneered. He felt it necessary to state this upfront; otherwise, he didn't want his good intentions to backfire and have someone take the item and sell it to a foreign nation, the consequences of which would be unimaginably grave.

"What kind of talk is that?!" Wu Jin said, somewhat displeased. "Do you still distrust us?"

Qin Tianzhu gazed deeply at Long Fei for a moment. Based on those few words, his impression of Long Fei improved by leaps and bounds. Regardless of whatever animosity or conflict existed between him and Long Fei, or between him and Ye Wenwan or Qi Xiaoyun, they were all sons of China. When facing national interests, everyone had to stand united—and on this point, Long Fei had undoubtedly done a commendable job, leaving Qin Tianzhu quite satisfied.

"I was just speaking hypothetically. Alright, I'll hand this item over to you. There's one more thing: although I can't make the final decision, I hope you can convey this to the higher-ups. I don't wish for these technologies to bring disaster upon the world, especially to the people of China." With that, Long Fei handed a disc over to Wu Jin.