Chapter 157: The Audience

Wu Jin held the compact disc as if he were carrying a towering mountain. Feeling a mixture of excitement and a heavy sense of responsibility, he raised his hand solemnly. "I swear on my life that I will live up to this vow and deliver this item to the state completely intact."

Handing over the disc felt to Long Fei like casting aside a hot potato, and his entire body instantly felt much lighter. Now that the words were out, what the state would actually use it for was beyond his control. Even if the state were to take actions that displeased him, Long Fei knew he would be utterly powerless to stop them. No matter how formidable an individual's abilities might be, they could never surpass the machinery of the state. Arrogant as he was, he was well aware of this reality, which was why his warning remarks served primarily to give him peace of mind.

Wu Jin carefully tucked the disc into his pocket, then suddenly hesitated, as if he had more to say.

"Is there something on your mind?" Long Fei frowned.

"This disc... it isn't a copy, is it? I mean, I mean—"

Long Fei sneered. "You mean to ask if I secretly kept a backup, right?"

Wu Jin smiled and remained silent.

"Rest assured, regardless of anything else, I am still a citizen of the Chinese nation. A matter of this magnitude is not something I would dare to joke about. Besides, doesn't your Ministry of State Security have some files on me? Although they aren't comprehensive, you at least know what I do for a living. Do you think someone like me would be short on money?" Long Fei found it somewhat amusing. If he had truly cared about money, he wouldn't have brought the item all the way to Beijing in the first place. Moreover, his wealth had already grown to an extent where he himself no longer knew the exact sum; would he really bother selling it for cash? As he had said, he was a citizen of China, and naturally, he hoped the state could properly utilize this technology to genuinely contribute to the realization of the dream of a strong nation.

"I believe you!" Unexpectedly, before Wu Jin could reply, Qin Tianzhu took the initiative to firmly state his position.

Wu Jin was momentarily stunned, failing to understand what game these two were playing. Clearly, they had conflicting interests, and just moments ago, they had traded verbal blows. Yet now, Qin Tianzhu was voluntarily coming to Long Fei's defense. Wu Jin was no fool and knew when to say what, so he followed up with a smile, "I was just asking casually—professional habit, professional habit, haha. Well, now I will take you to meet the leaders. They must be growing impatient."

Standing up, Wu Jin and Qin Tianzhu led Long Fei and Gouzi out of the main hall. Passing through several courtyard gates, they found two Hongqi sedans already parked outside. Long Fei and Gouzi got into the rear vehicle, while Wu Jin and Qin Tianzhu rode in the front one to lead the way.

The cars navigated several turns before arriving outside a courtyard that was relatively unadorned yet exceptionally solemn and imposing. Several more Hongqi cars were parked outside, and guards stood at attention by the entrance. Every single guard had temples that bulged outward—a clear sign of true martial artists who had practiced internal energy. Long Fei sighed inwardly; they truly lived up to their reputation as the Central Committee leaders' guards. These men were vastly superior to the bodyguards under Ye Wentian's command.

Upon seeing Wu Jin and Qin Tianzhu, the guards did not interrogate them at all; instead, they immediately stood at attention and saluted. Passing through two more gates and courtyards where numerous genuine masters were covertly stationed—though not strictly abiding by the rule of a sentry every three steps and a guard every five—it was clear that security here was unfailingly meticulous. It was safe to say that even a fly would find it exceedingly difficult to fly through unnoticed.

Arriving at a two-story pavilion where four fully armed guards stood watch at the front door, a female military officer first stood at attention and saluted Wu Jin and Qin Tianzhu with a crisp, standard military salute, then said, "Director Wu, Consultant Qin, please follow me."

Long Fei glanced at her. The female officer was quite striking, and her physique, tightly fitted in her military uniform, was exceptionally alluring. Her full, heaving breasts seemed as though they might burst free from her tunic at any moment, stirring in Long Fei a sudden, strong impulse to pin her down. Of course, Long Fei merely entertained the thought; toward this female officer, whose rank had already reached major general, Long Fei still held a sense of respect—or perhaps he simply held a degree of reverence for all genuine officers of the Chinese military.

Upon entering the main hall, the female officer suddenly turned around and said to Long Fei, "I am sorry, but the leaders only wish to see you alone. Please have your friend wait here, and someone will take good care of him."

This time, Long Fei neither chuckled nor made a quip; he simply nodded slightly, and Gouzi obediently sat down.

The female officer called out to the guard at the entrance, "Liu Kai, have someone brew some tea for this gentleman."

The guard outside responded in a booming voice.

Only then did the female officer resume leading the three men upstairs. After navigating several turns, she stopped before a certain room, turned back to Director Wu and the others, and said, "Please wait a moment while I go inside to announce your arrival."

For no apparent reason, Long Fei began to feel a twinge of nervousness. The thought that he was about to meet the supreme leaders of China naturally stirred a deep sense of excitement. Although he frequently saw them on television, he had never dreamed of having the opportunity to encounter them in real life.

"There's no need to be nervous; they are actually very easy to talk to." Sensing Wu Jin's tense demeanor, Qin Tianzhu suddenly turned his head and offered a reassuring smile, which made Long Fei feel rather awkward.

"I am not nervous."

"Good to hear." By the time Qin Tianzhu turned back around, the female officer had already emerged once more to usher the three of them inside.

The moment he stepped through the door, Long Fei immediately recognized the four elderly men seated within. Aside from the top leaders, Long Fei recognized the other two as well: one was surnamed Yan, whose face also frequently appeared on television news, while the other was surnamed Yang. Though rarely seen on television, Long Fei was most familiar with him, for he was none other than Yang Danni's grandfather, Yang Zhengrong, Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission and member of the Political Bureau Standing Committee.

Long Fei genuinely had not anticipated encountering Yang Zhengrong here. Moreover, from the look in Yang Zhengrong's eyes, Long Fei knew with near certainty that the old man was more than somewhat aware of the romantic involvement between him and Yang Danni. Unfortunately, he could not decipher any further intentions from the elder's gaze.

"Oh, you've arrived? Please, have a seat. We've been waiting for you for quite some time." Although Chairman Wu did not rise from his seat, he cordially invited the three to sit down, while Premier Wen nodded toward Long Fei with a benevolent smile, looking very much like his television persona.

Long Fei took his seat somewhat stiffly. No matter how hard he tried to compose himself, he still felt as though he were living in a dream. In the past, he had dreamed countless dreams—dreams of beautiful women, of wealth, and of power—yet he had never imagined that he would one day sit face-to-face with these true national rulers. Was this what people called sitting on equal footing? Long Fei indulged in a brief internal daydream as he accepted the teacup from the female officer's hands, his hand trembling slightly. To his surprise, the female officer caught this subtle movement and offered him a brief, encouraging smile before retreating.

Encouraged by the female officer's smile—whether it was actual encouragement or simply the effect of his own self-control taking hold—Long Fei calmed down before long. At least to outward appearances, he now seemed utterly composed.

Old man Yan had been observing Long Fei the entire time. Seeing Long Fei's initial stiffness brought him a measure of secret delight, for he was well aware that Long Fei and his own grandson were destined to be mortal enemies. Yet when he subsequently saw Long Fei successfully regain his composure, he was forced to retract the oppressive aura he had been projecting. Smiling faintly, he said nothing at first, merely nodding toward Chairman Wu.

Chairman Wu exchanged nods with Yang Zhengrong, then spoke in a solemn tone, "Very well, since everyone is here, I shall say a few words first. First, today's gathering is merely an informal chat and has nothing to do with major state affairs. However, this meeting is classified as top-secret; no one is permitted to divulge any information to the outside world, or else it will be dealt with as the crime of leaking state secrets!"

Long Fei was startled. Good grief, did they really have to be this solemn?

"Elder Wen, would you like to say a few words?" Chairman Wu deferred courteously to Premier Wen seated beside him.

Premier Wen smiled, nodded toward Long Fei, and said, "Chairman Wu, you might as well continue speaking."

He then exchanged pleasantries with the two elders of the Yang and Yan families. Naturally, neither of them would vie with him for the floor; matters of politics were exceedingly delicate, and things that appeared to be mere details often held immense significance. These old foxes, who had weathered numerous political storms without falling from grace, naturally understood this principle.

Only then did Chairman Wu turn to Wu Jin. "Director Wu, you have secured the item?"

Wu Jin hurriedly nodded.

"That is good. Since that is the case, I will speak without reservation. This time, Long Fei has made a tremendous contribution to our Chinese nation. However, we cannot speak of this matter publicly, and I hope Long Fei can understand the state's predicament. To put it more plainly, if any diplomatic issues truly arise in the future, we will have no choice but to let you bear the full responsibility. Do you understand?" Chairman Wu said with a grave expression.

Unexpectedly, Long Fei did not grow angry. Having seemingly thought everything through, he smiled and replied, "I already told Director Wu: as long as this can genuinely contribute to the prosperity of China, even if Long Fei were to be dashed to pieces, I would have no complaints. I only hope this technical data does not bring disaster upon humanity!"

Long Fei's words sounded somewhat hypocritical, but if he hadn't known how to pledge his loyalty at a time like this, he would have been a fool. Such a golden opportunity—to let it pass without performing this superficial duty would be far too regrettable.

Sure enough, everyone present nodded silently. Of course, whether they were truly moved by Long Fei's words was anyone's guess; Long Fei certainly didn't believe they were nodding because they actually bought his act.

Chairman Wu nodded heavily. "Good, good, good."

Repeating the word three times, Chairman Wu took the initiative to stand up, walked over to Long Fei, and shook his hand warmly. Cupping Long Fei's hand in both of his, he said, "Long Fei, on behalf of the Chinese government, I thank you. Furthermore, I want to state our position here: the military development of our Chinese nation has always been defensive in nature. As long as other countries do not come to bully us, we will not launch unprovoked attacks against anyone else. After all, China needs peace, our people need peace, and the world needs peace!"

Long Fei felt that he was truly too naive. When it came to pledging loyalty, he was far outmatched by Chairman Wu. Right now, his heart was pounding fiercely—half because he was shaking hands with the Chairman, and the other half because he had actually been moved by the Chairman's words.

Chairman Wu patted Long Fei on the shoulder, motioning for him to sit back down, before returning to his own seat. Taking a sip of tea, he continued, "Long Fei, before you arrived, we old fellows were discussing how best to reward you. Now that you are here, in front of all of us, speak your mind. Whatever request you have, we will do our utmost to fulfill it!"

In truth, Long Fei had no requests—truly none. If he had to name one, he would have wanted to ask them to gift him that female officer from earlier. Of course, he wouldn't dare make such a shameless and absurd request. He hurriedly shook his head and said, "This is only what I should have done, because I, too, am a Chinese citizen. Revitalizing the Chinese nation is a responsibility that belongs to every single one of us."

"Well said!" Chairman Wu nodded. "Tell me, gentlemen, if every single person in our China were like Long Fei, how could we ever worry about the nation failing to prosper?"

Everyone nodded in agreement. Yang Zhengrong gave Long Fei an approving nod, while Qin Tianzhu winked at him, making Long Fei feel somewhat guilty.

"Very well. In that case, let us do this: whenever you have a request in the future, or whenever you need the state to assist you, you may seek out Consultant Qin and Director Wu at any time. The state owes you a favor. We Chinese people believe that a drop of water received in need should be repaid with a gushing spring; how much more so for an entire country? We could never forget this matter. When the time comes, we will certainly do our best to satisfy your request. What do you think?" It appeared this decision had been reached long ago, and now, at the appropriate moment, Chairman Wu had delivered the concluding verdict.

Long Fei did not decline further. This was the very outcome he had desired. His trip to Beijing had not been in vain; having the state owe him a favor was virtually equivalent to obtaining a get-out-of-jail-free card, something that could save his life at a critical moment. Overjoyed in his heart, Long Fei readily agreed.

However, what Long Fei had not expected was that he would also receive a monetary reward. As he accepted the bank card from Chairman Wu's hands, Long Fei nearly laughed aloud. This deal was altogether too lucrative! By delivering a single cargo, he had not only made the state owe him a favor, but he had also netted a massive windfall into the bargain. Although Long Fei had no idea how much money was on the card, he figured it couldn't be a small sum—surely the state's idea of a reward would surpass that of any private individual?

The conversation concluded rather abruptly, much sooner than Long Fei had anticipated. Still feeling a bit dazed, he followed the female officer downstairs. When they reached the entrance, another dedicated vehicle was waiting to escort Long Fei out of Zhongnanhai. However, before he could board the car, Yang Zhengrong hurried over from behind.

Seeing himself intercepted made Long Fei's heart skip a beat. This wasn't because of Yang Zhengrong's lofty status and immense power, but rather because he was Yang Danni's grandfather. Long Fei had no idea how much the old man knew about his relationship with Yang Danni, so he stared at Yang Zhengrong with a sense of awkwardness.

Yang Zhengrong's face remained expressionless. "Long Fei, I heard from Batian that you and my precious granddaughter are on pretty good terms?"

Long Fei was taken aback. What did "on good terms" mean? Damn it, how much do you actually know? Can't you just spell it out?

"Ah?" Long Fei said with a depressed expression. "We're alright, I suppose."

"Oh?" Yang Zhengrong nodded. "Then feel free to come over to our house for a visit sometime when you're free. I'd love to know how my precious granddaughter is getting along in Tianhai."

"Ah, she's doing very well! I'll be sure to pay my respects to you, Elder, when I have the time!" Long Fei blurted out hurriedly.

Yang Zhengrong pressed his advantage. "Would today be convenient?"

"Today won't do! I have a friend waiting for me at a hotel, so I have to get back. Goodbye, Elder." Sensing that making a hasty exit was the wisest course of action, Long Fei practically dove into the car and waved goodbye to Yang Zhengrong.

The driver was equally prompt, immediately starting the engine and driving Long Fei away. Not far after they departed, Yang Zhengrong broke into a smile—an unfathomable, inscrutable smile.

***

Still in the western district of Beijing.

Still within an ordinary-looking villa.

Yang Zhengrong was holding a family meeting.

Such family gatherings were held several times a year by the Yang family. According to the old master's philosophy, women possessed an equal right to speak in the Yang family, and even when there were no pressing issues, gathering together periodically helped foster emotional bonds and kept the family harmonious.

That was the official stance, but ultimately, Yang Zhengrong still ran the household, and many major decisions rested solely on his shoulders. Of course, he genuinely allowed his family members to speak their minds—what was known as listening to all sides to gain clarity.

Like many truly prominent families, the interior decoration of the Yang family villa was dominated by classical rosewood, bearing a striking resemblance to the layout of the Ye family villa. The living room featured an Eight Immortals table, grand master chairs, and two rows of intricately carved rosewood armchairs.

At this moment, Yang Zhengrong sat upon the master chair with a solemn expression. Seated to his lower left were his son, Yang Jiyun, and his daughter-in-law, Wei Jiao, while to his lower right sat Yang Batian, who was nearing thirty yet remained unmarried.

In truth, today was not a scheduled meeting day. Yang Jiyun had hurried all the way back from the military region and had even summoned Wei Jiao, who served as the president of Beijing's First People's Hospital. Seeing the old man's grave expression, both of them felt a flutter of anxiety. For so many years, the Yang family had weathered storms in safety. Beijing had always been a whirlpool of right and wrong, where surface calm did not preclude undercurrents of strife. The very reason the Yang family managed to turn every peril into safety and maintain enduring prosperity was precisely because of Yang Chengye (Yang Zhengrong).

Therefore, toward this father who had enlisted in the army in his youth and survived countless trials of fire, Yang Jiyun held profound reverence. Although he now held the lofty position of political commissar of the Beijing Military Region, his admiration—or rather, his reliance—upon his father had never once wavered.

Regarding all matters big and small within the family, Yang Jiyun had grown accustomed to deferring to the old man's judgment. Even though Wei Jiao occasionally thought he lacked decisiveness, Yang Jiyun believed he was in the right; he had always maintained that his father was vastly wiser than himself, and that a father who had endured so many hardships possessed far more life experience than he did in every respect. Moreover, while he might be considered a secondary leader in the military region, his overall influence in China was not even a ten-thousandth of his father's.

Regrettably, Yang Jiyun's personality left the old man profoundly dissatisfied and disappointed. After repeated admonitions failed to yield any change, the elder gradually lost confidence in his son. This was the real reason Yang Jiyun had remained a political commissar in the military region for over a decade without ever receiving a promotion. If Old Master Yang truly had confidence in his son, given his own influence, a single cryptic remark would have been enough to set others to handling matters that the elder found inconvenient to address personally.

On the other hand, Yang Chengye was quite satisfied with his daughter-in-law, Wei Jiao. Although she was a woman, she was, after all, the descendant of a prestigious Beijing clan, possessed of an excellent upbringing and unwavering devotion to her husband, father-in-law, and son. What pleased Yang Chengye most of all, however, was not these traits, but rather Wei Jiao's occasional display of unique and insightful perspectives on critical issues.

That was why Yang Zhengrong insisted that women in the Yang family held an equal right to speak.

That was why Yang Zhengrong stipulated that Wei Jiao must attend every family meeting.