I put you in charge of those rebellious female soldiers, how come they all became top special forces

Chen Zheng remained silent, deep in thought.

Every word the old man said made sense.

Political maneuvering, like warfare, is all about timing.

The lethality of evidence diminishes over time.

The Lanmeng incident is still in the spotlight, and the higher-ups' attention hasn't completely shifted yet, making this the best window of opportunity.

Once this window is closed, even the best evidence may be subject to procedural processing.

In other words, it was thrown into a filing cabinet and became an unsolved case.

"Grandpa, has the Zhou family pressed you yet?" Chen Zheng asked.

An Yuanchao snorted coldly.

"Those old foxes from the Zhou family are just waiting for you to make your move."

"They waited for twenty years, saying they weren't in a hurry, but they were more anxious than anyone else."

"But they will never urge you, for fear of giving others cause for gossip."

"If things go wrong, they need to be able to get away with it cleanly; these guys are shrewd."

Chen Zheng smiled helplessly.

"I understand. You want to eat meat but don't want any fish. There's no such thing as a free lunch."

An Yuanchao chuckled, then whispered again.

"Oh, right, there's one more thing."

"I heard that a meeting was held in the provincial capital a couple of days ago, and a man surnamed Shen from Beijing came to attend."

Chen Zheng's expression turned cold.

People from the central government?

He wasn't unaware of the changes in An Jianjun's demeanor after his return.

The brigade commander has been frequently distracted these past few days, something that has never happened before.

"This person is no ordinary individual," An Yuanchao said meaningfully. "Jianjun should have met him."

"Hey kid, don't keep them waiting too long."

After listening, Chen Zheng pondered for a few seconds.

The old man's words contained a lot of information.

That guy surnamed Shen, ever since An Jianjun came back from the provincial capital, he's been hesitant to speak.

In retrospect, what happened at that meeting was far more complicated than An Jianjun outwardly revealed.

But what concerned Chen Zheng even more was An Yuanchao's last words, "Don't keep them waiting too long."

Wait?

What are you waiting for?

"Understood." Chen Zheng didn't ask any more questions, simply replying with two words.

"Okay, it's good that you know what's going on." An Yuanchao's tone softened a bit. "Be careful, don't be reckless."

"Don't worry, old man, I'm always a very reliable person."

An Yuanchao sneered on the other end of the phone, clearly having reservations about the phrase "very stable".

But he didn't say anything more and hung up the phone.

Chen Zheng put down his phone, leaned back in his chair, and stared at the ceiling.

The window of opportunity is closing.

The chain of evidence is missing its final link.

The Wei family's reaction will determine the next step.

If Wei Chongde chooses to destroy the evidence, the keyboard can monitor him, intercept the data before he takes action, and confirm the existence of Lanmeng Supply Chain.

If Wei Chongde panics and contacts the main branch of the clan, that would be even better; they could follow the clues and wipe them all out in one fell swoop.

But in either case, time is required.

And time is precisely what he lacks most right now.

"Instructor." The sound of a keyboard interrupted his thoughts.

Chen Zheng turned his head to look over.

He pointed at the screen with his keyboard and pushed up his glasses.

"There's been some activity from the Wei family."

"Wei Chongde just made a phone call to the Zong family headquarters. It didn't last long, only forty-seven seconds."

"I've included a portion of the content. He asked whether headquarters had recently sent any of its trusted subordinates down to conduct inspections."

Chen Zheng's eyes narrowed slightly.

really.

Wei Chongde is verifying their identities.

However, the fact that he waited until now to make this call suggests that he doesn't have many doubts.

"What was the response from the main family?"

"Not yet." Keyboard shook its head. "The Zong family headquarters is under very tight internal control right now. Incoming calls have to be relayed through multiple levels of management. Without Zong Yanhui's approval, no one dares to answer."

"I estimate we won't get a reply until tomorrow at the earliest."

Chen Zheng nodded.

enough.

No matter what answer Wei Chongde receives, he will have all the data in the Wei family's accounts.

"Keep a 24-hour watch on the Wei family's movements, starting tonight." Chen Zheng stood up, picked up his thermos, and said, "If they make any unusual transfers of funds or make any unusual communication records, tell me immediately."

The keyboard nodded, but the fingers didn't stop.

But after a few taps, the movement suddenly slowed down.

She stole a glance at Chen Zheng, her lips twitching several times, as if she wanted to say something but dared not.

Chen Zheng had already reached the door and, seeing this, asked.

"Just say what you have to say, don't be so hesitant."

The keyboard hunched over and whispered.

"Instructor, did Sister Anran come looking for you just now?"

"I saw on the security camera that she waited for you on the tree-lined path for almost an hour..."

Chen Zheng's lips twitched.

He turned his head and glanced at the keyboard.

Stop gossiping and get to work.

The keyboard quickly retracted behind the monitor.

But the corners of her mouth still curled up slightly.

The instructor did not deny it.

Hey.

Chen Zheng pushed open the door and went out.

A night breeze swept across the playground, carrying a hint of coolness.

He stood at the door of the communications room, pondering An Yuanchao's words.

Don't keep people waiting too long.

What exactly does that person surnamed Shen represent?

Is it true that the higher-ups are really planning to take action?

Chen Zheng tightened the lid of the cup and walked towards the dormitory.

In any case, he only has one path.

Confirm the evidence, dismantle the alliance, and nail the coffin lid of the Zong family shut.

Let the higher-ups worry about the rest.

……

Beijing.

Deep inside a hutong (alleyway) inside the Second Ring Road.

There's a wooden door hidden in a place that even navigation apps can't find.

There was no sign or address on the door, and not even a couplet was pasted on the door frame.

The only indication that there was someone in the place was the faint light shining through the crack in the door.

Zhao Tingxuan stood at the door for two seconds, straightened his trench coat collar, and raised his hand to knock on the door.

The door opened from the inside, and a middle-aged man in a Tang suit leaned out, glanced at him, and stepped aside to let him pass.

Zhao Tingxuan went in alone.

He didn't bring any bodyguards or entourage, and even his phone was switched off and locked in the car.

The person he is meeting should not be known by any third party.

After passing through a short passageway of only about ten steps, turn into a small hall on the right.

The hall was small, and the furnishings were so simple they were almost shabby.

A square table, two round-backed chairs, a set of Kung Fu tea utensils on the table, and a calligraphy scroll in running script hanging on the wall, the author of which is unknown.

A man was sitting on a wooden chair inside, adding tea leaves to a teapot.

Zhou Chengye.

The eldest son of the Zhou family in the capital, and the eldest son of Zhou Dingshan.

He was in his early forties, wearing a dark blue cotton-linen shirt, and looked very refined.

He has a refined appearance and a gentle temperament; he looks like a scholar.

But Zhao Tingxuan knew very well that this scholar's methods were much more subtle than his father's, who had endured for twenty years.

The Zhou family endured the patriarchal clan for twenty years, neither being swallowed up nor marginalized. Zhou Chengye's contribution was no less than Zhou Dingshan's.

The two met eyes.

There were no small talk, no formalities.

Zhao Tingxuan pulled out a chair and sat down, getting straight to the point.

"Young Master Zhou, I'm not here today to beat around the bush."

Zhou Chengye's hands didn't stop moving. He put the lid on the teapot and slowly poured out the first brew of tea.

"Please speak, Patriarch Zhao."