The train driver in the courtyard

As Aunt Mei surveyed the scene outside, so different from New York, she asked Lou Xiao'e, who was sitting in the driver's seat:
"Which important figure is on K Street in Washington?"

"The company has booked a consultation service." Lou Xiao'e had just changed into a suit and looked particularly capable, like a white-collar elite from a large company.

Aunt May asked, puzzled, "There are many consulting firms in Hollywood that provide consulting services for the development of companies, and film companies will consult them."

"I know, but they can't provide the consultation we need," Lou Xiao'e said, focusing on driving.

Aunt Mei narrowed her eyes slightly.

She wasn't trying to get to the bottom of things.

Rather, it was the destination she was heading to that was crucial to Lou Xiao'e's safety, so she needed to know the situation in advance and prepare a response strategy.

This is the main east-west thoroughfare in the heart of Washington, D.C., and is known as "Lobbying Street" because it is home to a large number of professional lobbying firms and think tanks.

The streets are lined with tall buildings, and the scenery is pleasing to the eye.

The pedestrians on the street were dressed smartly and walked in a hurry. There was no litter or graffiti on the roadside. Every few hundred meters, you could see FBL officers on duty in plainclothes.

Compared to Hollywood, where she lives, Meryl Streep felt that while it seemed peaceful, a somber atmosphere permeated the air.

18 K Street, Lafayette Plaza Hotel, is Lou Xiao's destination.

The entire building is thirty-seven meters tall and uses blue glass curtain walls, which are rare in this era. Under the sunlight, it looks like a vast ocean has been dug out in Washington.

On their way from parking their car in the underground parking lot to the hotel lobby, Lou Xiao'e and Aunt Mei were stopped and questioned five times. They also had to contact a consulting firm in the building to register their identities before being allowed to pass.

“These guys all have guns; they’re either FBL or Langley.” Aunt May smelled the scent on them.

Lou Xiao'e walked towards the elevator: "This is the closest hotel to White House. There are consulates of seven or eight countries here, and offices of General Electric and IBM are also located here."

"The consultation you booked is held here? It must be very expensive, right?" Aunt Mei cautiously entered the elevator first, and only after seeing that there was nothing unusual did she stop the elevator to let Lou Xiao'e in.

Lou Xiao'e looked at the rotating pointer on the elevator: "It's not just expensive, it's incredibly expensive. WestExec, a strategic consulting firm, isn't the largest in Washington, but it's the most expensive consulting firm in Washington."

My appointment is with Ron Clay, the former director of Whitehouse Consulting, who belongs to the second tier out of five consulting firms. He charges $20,000 per hour, with a minimum of two hours.

Even though Aunt Mei had seen a lot of the world through Wu Jingzhong and worked with the businesswoman Lou Xiao'e for so long, she was still somewhat taken aback when she heard the price.

$20,000 per hour, while the average worker here only earns a little over $100 per month, and this is only the second-tier price charged by the consulting firm.

"That's enough to buy half a block of extras in Hollywood."

Aunt May astutely noticed the reason for the high price: "What position would the Chief of Staff of Whitehouse hold in our ancient times?"

"In ancient times?" Lou Xiao'e tilted her head and thought for a moment: "Similar to the Grand Secretary, who directly served the emperor and was responsible for information transmission and daily government affairs coordination."

"Hiss, even if he's resigned, he shouldn't have done this. Isn't this suspected of involving the transfer of benefits?"

Aunt May understood, of course, that the $20,000 wasn't just because the Chief of Staff was handsome; she knew the other party definitely needed to do something for her.

“It’s nothing unusual. How much cleaner are the people here than the cops in Hong Kong?” Lou Xiao’e said. “Those councilors serve for a few years, and once they leave office, they immediately go on to become senior executives in multinational corporations, earning millions of dollars a year.”

"They're really ruthless; they've even stopped pretending." Aunt Mei was truly amazed.

"The most important thing is that it is still legal, so even if you want to find fault with it, you can't find any."

Talking.

The elevator doors opened on the eleventh floor, where a young man in a suit was already waiting. The name WestExec was displayed on the wall next to him.

Upon seeing Lou Xiao'e appear, he smiled and spoke.

"Hello, you must be Ms. Lou Xiao'e."

“It’s me,” Lou Xiao’e nodded.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Ron Clay’s secretary. Please follow me.” The young man turned and led the way.

After passing through a corridor, they arrived at a large hall. The young man gestured for Aunt Mei to wait on the sofa before continuing to lead Lou Xiao'e to a door.

"To effectively protect our clients' privacy, the soundproofing here is top-notch, and we check for listening devices every day to ensure it's even cleaner than a foreign affairs office. Please rest assured."

"We hope you can leave your handbag behind."

Lou Xiao'e wasn't worried about that. These people were guilty and wouldn't leave any evidence against her. She turned around, handed the bag to Aunt Mei, and stepped through the door.

There was only one small office inside.

The furnishings were surprisingly simple: two simple sofas and a desk in the middle, allowing for face-to-face conversations where one could open up and express sincerity.

"Please make yourself at home. What would you like to drink? Coffee, tea, or red wine?" the young man said with a smile to Lou Xiao'e.

Lou Xiao'e sat on the sofa and said, "Tea, thank you."

"Okay, Mr. Ron Clay will be right there." The assistant came out of the office to prepare tea.

Two minutes later, the door was pushed open from the outside, and an elderly man in his fifties came in.

Lou Xiao'e stood up and greeted him, "Hello, Mr. Ron Clay."

“Hello, you must be Lou Xiao’e, young lady. I rarely see young customers here, especially ladies. Most of the time it’s just old men, it’s so boring.” Ron Clay was tall, and his sharp eyes on his hooked nose kept scanning Lou Xiao’e.

He wanted to see how this Easterner could persuade his old friend to personally step in and help.

Unfortunately, no clues were found.

Although the young woman opposite him looked like an elite figure, capable of serving as the general manager of a large company, she was far from qualified to be involved in these matters.

Ron Clay remained expressionless, his tone still calm: "How's your English? I don't speak Chinese. If you don't mind, I can have my secretary come in and talk to you."

“I think normal communication will be fine,” Lou Xiao’e nodded.

Ron Clay nodded in satisfaction: "The rate is $20,000 per hour, so, young lady, let's skip the pointless small talk and see what I can do for you."

Lou Xiao'e straightened up, looking puzzled: "Mr. Ron Clay, I haven't been here long and I'm quite satisfied with most things here. The only thing I'm not happy about is that there are too many Mafia members."

This is incredibly bothersome for a legitimate businessperson like myself; it's truly troubling. Is there any way to solve this problem?

"Wow, what a kind-hearted out-of-towner! Your problem is easy to solve. Just donate some money to the local FBL, and I guarantee they'll increase patrols near your company. If you need the FBL's help anytime, I can also introduce you to a few councilors. You really don't need to consult me."

Ron Clay unconsciously crossed his arms over his chest, his eyes fixed on Lou Xiao'e.

"But this method can only protect our company's safety; it doesn't improve the surrounding situation at all. I've checked the data; just last year, the Mafia committed more than a dozen bloody crimes, and that doesn't include those that haven't been disclosed."

“I know better than you that it’s one of the key issues the Department of Justice is currently focusing on, but I think you’ll be disappointed, Ms. Lou. The Mafia is a serious social problem, and it’s almost impossible to eradicate it completely.”

Upon hearing Lou Xiao'e's words, Ron Clay smiled and shook his head.

He felt that the girl opposite him seemed to be a naive and innocent person. As a manager of a film company, she could easily hire bodyguards. Why should she care about these problems that are impossible to solve?

Lou Xiao'e looked into Ron Clay's eyes and slowly said, "If I had some evidence of the Hollywood Mafia's crimes, I could guarantee that I could wipe them out in one fell swoop, and even take down their financiers. This evidence would be handed over to a group, and Mr. Ron Clay, you happen to be in that group, right?"

Ron Clay was taken aback at first, but after realizing that Lou Xiao'e was not joking, his smile gradually faded.

He picked up his coffee and took a sip: "You know, I just said you were a kind-hearted young man. Now, I think I can add another word: smart. But this matter is beyond my capabilities. I can help you contact someone else."

After saying that, he stood up and extended his hand to Lou Xiao'e: "But I also want to give you a piece of advice. Some things are not for ordinary people to get involved in, kind-hearted lady. This place is far more complicated than you imagine. The swamp of Washington has always swallowed only well-meaning people who overestimate their abilities."

“I just understand one thing: a good place is one without the Mafia.” Lou Xiao’e shook hands with Ron Clay, took out a business card and handed it to him: “This is the company’s address.”

"Goodbye."

Ron Clay took the business card and placed it on the table. He then saw Lou Xiao'e out of the office, watching her figure disappear into the depths of the corridor, his eyes slightly narrowed.

The young man came out of the next room and asked, "Teacher, is there something wrong with this person's mind?"

“I’m afraid she has ulterior motives. How could someone who can beat Disney so badly that they have to go to court be mentally unstable?” Ron Clay turned to the young man: “But isn’t Ken just worried about not being able to break through? With this opportunity, we can close the gap between ourselves and Whitehouse quite a bit.”

The young man knew that "Little Ken" Ron Clay mentioned was the younger brother of the Grand Chancellor Ken and the current Chief Justice.

He was also a formidable figure, and like his brother, he almost changed the course of history.

However, President Ken focused on people's livelihood and international affairs, while Ken Jr. made cracking down on the Mafia his top priority.

The Mafia was a taboo subject in Xiao Mei's family, and for a long time, FBL did not acknowledge the existence of any organized crime group in Xiao Mei's family.

Ken was the first person to stand up and point out this problem.

This caused considerable headaches for the Mei family, who were all-encompassing and controlled unions, Hollywood, and even some city mafia bosses.

Later, Ken left the Senate to assist President Ken's campaign, which gave the Mafia a temporary reprieve.

Soon after, Ken was elected President Ken and appointed Chief Justice, and from the very beginning of his term, he demonstrated his determination to be irreconcilably opposed to the Mafia.

However, Ken's actions were not easy. Under Hu's years of management, FBL was a monolithic entity, and Langley could not intervene in Xiao Mei's family affairs.

Ken is in a situation where there is no one available.

In addition, the Mafia has done business with many well-known American families, including Ken's family.

Ken's father was a bootlegging dealer, and it's said that his brother Ken the Great was able to rise to power with the support of the Mafia.

Ron Clay and Ken have been friends for many years and he knows all about these things.

"Arrange a meeting with Robert for me immediately."

"Understood." The young man nodded, changed his clothes, and left the building.

Without control of the FBL, no telephone line is secure.

Moreover, it is said that Hu Jintao, the old man from FBL, has a habit of eavesdropping on people, and many members of parliament have been wiretapped by him.

The young man left, and Ron Clay picked up the business card, examined it for a moment, and carefully placed it into his business card holder.

If this Ms. Lou can really help Ken take down one or two Mafia members, then she will no longer be an outsider, but a person who can play an important role in Whitehouse.

But that seems a bit impossible.

Ken is very troubled, extremely troubled.

As the seventh child of a bootlegging dealer, he was different from his father and brothers from childhood.

He didn't like making money; instead, he was very close to the workers.

Ken, a firm believer in justice, had no intention of entering politics. Instead, after obtaining his degree from Harvard University, he became a reporter for The Boston Globe.

Ken's years as a journalist exposed him to too much social chaos, and he realized that a journalist could not solve problems with just his pen.

So Ken resigned and went to university to study law. After graduating, he joined the Criminal Division of the Ministry of Justice, hoping to cleanse the world of chaos.

Soon, Ken realized that within the Mafia's intricate network of relationships, as a criminal investigator, he could only follow orders from his superiors.

Only by truly wielding power can one deal with that Mafia gang. Ken resigned again, this time choosing to enter politics.

Ultimately, he helped his brother ascend to a high position, and he himself achieved his wish of becoming the head of the Ministry of Justice.

Logically, he should be able to fully utilize his talents and fulfill his long-cherished wish.

As a result, Ken discovered that in addition to the lack of cooperation from his subordinates, Big Ken also had close ties with the Mafia, and that a lot of Big Ken's campaign funds came from the Mafia.

The leader of the Big Ken gang also realized that his shady past would affect his re-election and tried to distance himself from the Mafia.

But as the old saying goes: if you make a deal with the devil, the devil will demand a return sooner or later.

President Ken was a womanizer, and the Mafia, in order to control him, had pre-installed surveillance equipment, gaining ample "incriminating evidence." The release of those videotapes would be a fatal blow to President Ken.

In this situation, Ken's actions became restricted.

When they met the young man, Ken was looking at a report from New York.

The Corleone family in New York recently committed a bloody crime, but fortunately they were very restrained and did not harm any innocent people. The victim was also a member of the Mafia.

"If these people keep killing each other like this, maybe I won't have to lift a finger."

Hearing the knock, Ken closed the file and greeted the young man who came in in a friendly manner.

The young man directly reported Lou Xiao'e's idea of ​​eradicating the Hollywood Mafia.

"A woman from Hong Kong has evidence against the Mafia?" Ken frowned.

“If this woman now owned several multinational corporations and had assets exceeding five hundred million US dollars, then the situation would be different,” the young man relayed his teacher’s opinion.

Ken nodded: "Maybe... I should meet with her."

In the past, Ken would never have rashly met with a stranger.

However, more than half a year has passed since he took office, and the work of eliminating the Mafia has made no progress.

Hollywood.

The logo of Red Star Entertainment Film Company is a bright five-pointed star.

Ken didn't feel any aversion to the logo; on the contrary, he felt quite fond of it.

The area in front was still surrounded by reporters. Ken had also seen "Kung Fu Panda," a very good movie, especially Po, who reminded Ken of his younger self.

Back when he was a journalist, he once investigated the Mafia single-handedly, similar to Po's fight against the thugs.

Ah Bao succeeded, but just as he was about to achieve his goal, he was transferred back to the newspaper.

To avoid being recognized by outsiders, Xiao Ken came alone today. After closing the car door, he went directly to the back door as agreed over the phone.

As he approached, the back door opened, and a young woman smiled at him: "Sir, please follow me."

Ken went up the stairs to the second floor, where a young woman asked him to walk through a metal door, presumably to check if he was carrying a listening device.

Finally, Ken was led into a separate room, where he saw the young woman in a Zhongshan suit and realized who she was.

"Hello, you must be Ms. Lou Xiao'e?"

He didn't shake hands with the other person, and said bluntly, "I'm short on time, only five minutes. If you can't offer me something that interests me, then don't waste your time."

Lou Xiao'e seemed oblivious to Xiao Ken's bluff, and pointed to the table, saying, "This is a gift for you."

Ken then noticed the seven or eight videotapes on the table.

"Take your time looking around. I'm right next door. If you decide, you can come over and we can talk." Lou Xiao'e left the room with those words.

Ken had originally planned to use his status to get the upper hand, but now his curiosity was piqued.

He looked around and saw a player on a table against the wall, already connected to the television.

The videotape was inserted into the player, the button was pressed, and a dim light appeared on the screen.

A moment later, the image became clear.

Ken's expression changed after just one glance.

On the television screen were Commander Ken and a beautiful girl, whom Ken recognized as a Hollywood star.

The two snuggled together on the sofa, looking very intimate, when then, the scene that appeared on the television made Ken's breathing quicken.

He abruptly turned off the video recorder and took a few deep breaths.

Only then did he understand why the lady had left; it was clear that this thing was not suitable for a lady to see.

But the next second, as he held the videotape in his hand, Ken seemed to realize something, and his hair stood on end.

"The videotapes were a tool the Mafia used to blackmail Big Ken. How did they get their hands on them?"

"What's their purpose?"

Ken instinctively wanted to rush out immediately, call his trusted men, surround the area, and thoroughly investigate the matter.

But he quickly suppressed the thought.

"Since they could even get their hands on something so secretive, they must have been prepared beforehand. Judging from the current situation, they don't seem to have any malicious intent. Let's talk first."

Ken was a man who had seen a lot, and he quickly calmed down, put the videotape back in its original place, and pushed open the door next door.

The door opened.

Lou Xiao'e smiled and asked, "Do you like the gifts we gave you?"

This room was even simpler than the previous one, with only two chairs, a table, and a telephone on the table.

Xiao Ken nodded to Lou Xiao'e and sat down in a chair: "This gift is very nice, but I don't know if the videotapes are complete."

“If I told you that all the videotapes are here, I’m afraid you wouldn’t believe me,” Lou Xiao’e said.

Ken stroked his chin and placed his hands on the table: "What price do you want me to pay to give me the videotapes, including all the master tapes?"

“You don’t need anything. In fact, we’re here to help you.”

"help me?"

Lou Xiao'e did not continue to answer Xiao Ken's question, but instead picked up the phone, shook it for a while, and connected to an office in Gangcheng.

Inside that office, someone was already prepared.

After the call was connected, the line was connected to a small loudspeaker, and then the phone was immediately cranked to connect to the mainland via a secure line.

With the loudspeaker pointed at the microphone, a simple, man-made transoceanic line was successfully established.

The door was tightly closed, and no sound could be heard from outside.

"Hello, I'm a train driver, a worker." Hearing the fluent English coming from the phone, Ken paused for a moment, then replied, "I'm Robert."

*****
No one knows what kind of storms a butterfly flapping its wings in the east will cause on the other side of the ocean.

Even Li Aiguo himself couldn't be completely sure.

When I hung up the phone, it was already 7:30 in the morning. A passionate and upbeat voice came from the loudspeaker hanging on the utility pole at the Qianmen Locomotive Depot.

"We workers have power, we workers have power!"
Busy with work every day, busy with work every day

It was transformed into skyscrapers, railways and coal mines were built, and the world was completely changed.
Hey! The machine started up and roared.

"

Humming a little tune, Li Aiguo handed a cigarette to the old cat who had been waiting outside, and strode towards the studio.

The assembly of the geological exploration drilling rig is in its final stages. As soon as the assembly is completed, it can be transported to the front line as quickly as possible.

The old cat, cigarette between his fingers, looked up. The sun had just risen, and the rays slanted down, gilding the burly figure with a golden glow.

Old Cat didn't know the contents of the phone call, but he had a feeling that something might be about to happen at Xiao Mei's house.

After returning to the weather station, I contacted the local comrades and kept a close eye on the situation there.

That morning, according to the Associated Press, President Kenneth, who was vacationing at Camp David, suddenly returned to Washington.

This sudden event has attracted the attention of many people.

Just as people were discussing the matter, Ken was authorized by the president to form an investigation team and at the same time expose the crimes committed by the Mafia to the media.

The horrific state of the dead in those photos caused a huge uproar.

FBL, however, stated that the so-called crime was just a regular case and had nothing to do with organized crime.

The councilors from Xiaomei's family, who had been somewhat worried, breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing this.

"Without authorization from Capitol Hill, the president cannot directly mobilize troops."

"FBL is the only force the President can control internally."

"Alright, everyone, just wait and see President Ken make a fool of himself."

At this moment, the white grand house...

President Ken's face turned ashen as he hung up the phone with the FBL director: "That old man Hu really thinks the FBL is his own backyard."

"It's said that Disney donates a lot of money to the FBL and those congressmen every year," an aide whispered.

President Kenneth Fernandes gets furious whenever Disney is mentioned.

When he first took the stage, Walter N. S. stood firmly on Nick's side and opposed him.

"Is there no other way?"

The chief of staff gave an awkward laugh: "President, since there's no one else available, I think we should just let the FBL find a few scapegoats. That way, we can at least give the public an explanation."

President Ken was particularly unwilling. Now that he had finally regained those incriminating evidence, it was the perfect opportunity to deal with those people. If he backed down now, he would surely be ridiculed by the public.

Just then, Ken, who had been silent all along, stepped forward.

“There is another force available, and that is the National Guard, which is deployed throughout the states.”

The chief of staff frowned: "Ken, the National Guard is a federal second-level military force, considered a reserve force. Its deployment requires the governor's approval; the federal government cannot directly mobilize it."

“You’re right, except for the following three situations.” Little Ken took out a thick book and placed it in front of President Ken.

The book's cover reads "The Armed Forces Code of Little Mei's Family".

Xiao Mei's family is a loosely structured organization. In order to coordinate the interests of all parties, there are many laws and regulations. Books like this are usually never read.

"According to Section 12406 of Book 10 of the Code, the President can bypass the governors of each state and take direct control of the National Guard in three situations: in the event of 'insurrection,' 'foreign invasion,' or 'the regular forces are unable to enforce the law.'"

As he spoke, Ken opened the law book.

An aide added, "It's too late for those lawmakers to object—this clause only requires the president's signature to take effect immediately, and the Supreme Court's review will take 90 days!"

“We really can’t use our regular troops right now! That’s perfect for this clause; 90 days is enough to take care of all those guys.” The President immediately perked up, but soon he became puzzled.

Even he, the president, didn't know about this clause that had never been used before, so why did Kenneth know it so clearly?

When Ken met the questioning gaze of the President, he couldn't help but smile bitterly.

He also wanted to know why the train driver knew so much about the books hidden in the basement safe.

If Li Aiguo were here, he would probably say, "Thank you, stock market master. The stock market master went to great lengths to create positive news for himself, even finding ancient texts from a hundred years ago to clean up the mess in Los Angeles."

At this point, these matters were no longer important. After his staff confirmed the applicability of the terms, President Ken immediately issued the order.

"Mobilize the California National Guard and deploy them to Hollywood."

(End of this chapter)