Coming out of the corner gate of Flowing Wind Slope, through a small path hidden behind the winter forest, they arrived at Charter Square, which was only a minute and a half walk away. No one followed Xu Le in the club, and there were no eye-catching people around the lawn covered in thin snow. Things had already developed to this point, and Xu Le knew very well that Lady Tai no longer had to worry about him leaving.
There were benches beside the lawn, and the iron armrests were carved into complicated patterns using anti-rust craftsmanship. In the past, these benches were the favorite places of the people of the capital to relax, but today was cold, so there were countless empty chairs waiting for Xu Le. He randomly picked a chair, brushed away the remaining snow on it, and sat down heavily. His lips were tightly pursed, and he kept smoking the cigarette. After a while, the cigarette burned out, and he lit another one.
The architectural style and layout of the capital special district were always on the path of the vicissitudes of history, solemn, and quiet. Whether it was the presidential palace, the Parliament Hill building, the Ministry of Finance building, or this empty Charter Square, the post-modernist style was extremely rare. Naturally, it was not like any of the crossroads in Hong Kong, where the lights were so tall that they reached into the sky, and the three-dimensional light screen flashed the night into day. It was so bustling that it made people dizzy.
His line of sight passed over the corner of the majestic five-person team statue in the center of Charter Square, and fell on the street corner in the distance, where there was the only two-dimensional light screen in Charter Square. This light screen gathered in the air was about seventy meters wide, and the area was very large. Many years ago, the Federation television station spent a lot of effort to obtain permission from the Federation Management Committee.
At this time, the winter sun was sinking into Mochou Mountain, and the sky was gradually darkening. The news on the light screen in the sky in the distance was a lot clearer. Today's news was still focused on the news of Ross and Macklin announcing their withdrawal. Reporters were reporting the reactions of the people on the various planets of the Federation. After the initial disappointment and even anger, Macklin's supporters gradually accepted this fact. This was because Macklin did not use the words "withdraw in anger" when he was in front of the Ministry of Justice building or in front of the Parliament building. Instead, he sincerely put on a big hat of righteousness and glory on his head.
In the news, Senator Medellin was sincerely praising Senator Pabre. The people who were on strike in the four mountainous states were praising Senator Medellin with tears streaming down their faces. The Parliament's press spokesperson was solemnly praising the people of the Federation for their maturity and rationality. The Jingzhou Federation of Industry and Commerce was praising the wisdom of the Federation Parliament for terminating the hearing. Some experts and scholars were praising the stance of the business community in this dispute. A certain ministry of the Federation government was praising the academics for their objective performance in this storm …
Everyone was praising and blessing each other. This was a united Federation, a perfect Federation. Some people won, but no one lost. Some withdrew, but no one retreated. However, no one was thinking about the editorial department of the Capital Daily that had started this storm, the investigators from the Macklin Special Task Force of the Ministry of Justice, and the anti-government witnesses who had come from S2 Green Dragon Mountain but had become clowns.
Xu Le lit another cigarette and subconsciously looked back. Hidden by the winter forest, deep in the grassland, there were cornices, black tiles, and white snow. That was the Flowing Wind Slope, the place where the upper echelons of the Federation gathered. And the place he was at was Charter Square, the place most familiar to the people of the Federation. The two places were very close to each other, but the class they represented, or rather the world, were completely different.
In the future, he would be the second youngest lieutenant colonel in the Federation, the youngest first-class technical supervisor in Nutshell, and the close companion and subordinate of Tai Zhiyuan, who was destined to become the president in the future. He would have a bright future that no orphan in Donglin could imagine. In the future, he would be a fugitive from the Federation, a wanted target of the Bureau of Proclamation. He would either hide in the dark for a lifetime, or he would immediately die under a gun. He would be alone, and no one could see the dangerous road ahead.
Xu Le was a rock. For him, this choice was not a difficult thing. In fact, before he came to the Flowing Wind Slope today, he had already made his decision. Even though the folder that Butler Jin handed over was so heavy, so shocking, and had dug out his biggest secret, he still didn't feel the slightest bit of fear. At most, he would just replace the chip on the back of his neck, escape, kill, and kill, and continue to be a small fry.
However, Victor was in the distant Bermuda, under the control of the other party. Because of this, he was destined to only be able to silently smoke on the bench behind the snow, and he could not make a more direct response.
The cigarette butt was inserted into the snow and extinguished. Six or seven cigarette butts were neatly inserted at his feet, but he still did not think clearly. After smoking too much, there was no taste, only an anxious burnt smell. He narrowed his eyes and looked at the few people in the square. Occasionally, he would think, "Forget it, forget it. In the face of the huge shadow of the Federation society, there is not much meaning in making any more resistance."
In fact, after knowing that Zhang Xiaomeng was still alive and had lied to him for a whole year, he was already tired and did not want to care about anything. In the collective unconscious that yearned for peace and stability, no one cared about the truth of the Medellin Project anymore. No one was willing to remember the innocent victims of the assassination in Linhai and the terrorist concert in Huanshan Sizhou. Since this society was so forgetful, why should he remember?
However, a group of people came from the Charter Square. This group of people were of different ages, men and women, wearing thick clothes, holding candles in their hands, and holding a few photos about half a meter in size. There were very few people, and they looked scattered and did not have any momentum. Compared to the George Carlin Youth Army that had surrounded the Ministry of Justice building a few days ago, this demonstration crowd seemed very isolated.
The small demonstration team was very silent. They probably knew that in the current social environment, what they insisted on believing was not what most people wanted to see. The photos they held were very small and looked a little blurry from afar, but Xu Le could see clearly that the names of the victims of the terrorist concert attack were written on the photos.
The rest of the photos were children's faces. These were the children who went to watch their idol's concert and died under the collapsed grandstand. After their cold bodies were dug out, their eyes were closed and their tender faces were covered with black and gray dust. Their long eyelashes were quietly closed, but a few were broken. Some were blue, some were pale, but there was no rosy color that a child should have, because they were all dead.
The silent demonstration team walked over. Xu Le looked at them silently, then stood up, took out the cash on him, and put it into the donation box. At the same time, he said a few words to the leader of the team.
After Senator Medellin announced his withdrawal from the election, the people who originally supported Senator Pabre and stood against the George Carlin Youth Army dispersed. This was probably because the people simply sympathized with the weak and did not want to beat a dog when it was down, so now there were very few people who still accused Medellin of being the baby killer.
"I believe the report of the Capital Daily News, but the people of the four states do not believe it, even though they are the biggest victims of this terrorist attack."
The organizer of the demonstration was a middle-aged man. He took two puffs from Xu Le's cigarette and said sadly, "The relatives of these children who died did not have the money to take the spaceship from S2. They just chose a representative, but what makes me even more scared is that some of the families of the victims still think that the incident was done by the anti-government forces, and has nothing to do with that old bastard Medellin."
Xu Le did not say anything. The middle-aged man patted him on the shoulder to express his gratitude. Then, he led his few companions along the snow-covered Charter Square and began another detour.
Xu Le sat back on the bench and inserted the cigarette butt into the pile of snow by his feet. This was already the ninth cigarette, but he still had not thought it through. He lowered his head and thought for a moment, then looked up and said to Bai Magnolia, "I'm out of cigarettes, do you still have any?"
He didn't know when Bai Magnolia, who had been waiting for him at the entrance of the Flowing Wind Slope, had come to his side. Bai Magnolia used a finger to lift the black hair on her face and shook her head. After a moment of silence, she said, "I've already found some of the things you asked me to find out. The specific situation at the Ministry of Justice is not clear. The task force has been withdrawn, but no one knows how the evidence was dealt with."
Xu Le scratched his head and took out a cigarette butt from the pile of snow by his feet. He found that it was impossible to light it again, so he could only tear the material in the filter and stare blankly. Secretary Bai was good at killing people, but after all, she was in a different class, so it was difficult for her to find out these things.
"I have no way to know what happened at the Capital Daily News." Bai Magnolia stood aside and looked at Xu Le's lowered head. Although she did not know what happened before, she roughly understood that what confused Xu Le at this time was definitely related to the Medellin case.
At this time, the phone in Xu Le's arms rang. He didn't look at the caller ID and directly asked, "What's the news?"
"The Chief Editor of the Capital Daily News, Bob, was dismissed. The board of directors cited a super clause and compensated him ten times his salary. Believe me, it will be difficult for this Chief Editor to find a suitable job in five years." On the other end of the phone, the seventh young master of the Li family, Li Xiaotong, sighed and said, "As for the chief reporter you care about, Mr. Wood, unfortunately, he was in a car accident today. He didn't die, but he has been hospitalized."
Xu Le held the phone and didn't move.
"In the current environment, any attempt to destroy the stability and reconciliation of the Federation will be met with a strong joint attack from countless parties. In fact, you know that in this kind of attack, my family should contribute the most." Li Xiaotong continued calmly, "According to the news I received, you have passed the madam's assessment. As long as you are willing, you can enter our circle with a corresponding identity. In this case, I advise you to calm down."
"Thank you." Xu Le said seriously. He and the seventh young master of the Li family were not friends, but interested parties. He was the target of Li Xiaotong's investment. However, at this time, the other party was still willing to help him in this aspect. It should be said that he was very sincere.
Li Xiaotong didn't say anything else. He hung up the phone and sat on the sofa in silence for a long time. At the beginning, he mainly wanted to invest in the relationship between Xu Le and the Tai family. Later, he mainly wanted to invest in Xu Le, because he thought that this person was like Lin Banshan in the past, with the ability to break the rules. However, at this time, he had a bad feeling. Even Lin Banshan himself, in the face of the current Federation's collective consciousness from the top to the bottom, from the dignitaries to the people, would not dare to go against him. Xu Le, however, seemed to have other ideas.
One person, no matter how strong, was only one person in the face of the entire Federation.
…
…
The editorial department of the Capital Daily News was gloomy. Chief Editor Bob took one last look at his office and laughed bitterly. Under the sorrowful gazes of many of his subordinates, he left the building on Carbine Street.
Walking out of the front door of the news agency, Chief Editor Bob looked back at the Lunar Eclipse symbol on the side of the building. He thought about the past few days, and there was not much regret in his heart. There was only peace in his heart. As a media worker, he did what he was supposed to do. Only then could he feel at ease and have a clear conscience.
Unfortunately, he still overestimated the power of the news and underestimated the power of the omnipresent network in the Federation society. A few days ago, he and the media were able to launch an unrelenting attack on Senator Macklin because the other big force in the Federation needed them to do so. When the two sides had formed an agreement and distributed the benefits, they would abandon him.
The power of the news was to expose the truth and inform the people. Unfortunately, in this regard, the old man Macklin had enough ability to incite. It was natural for the news agency to fire him. It was probably the government's means to appease the fanatical supporters of Macklin.
It was a pity for Wood. This guy originally wanted to continue his report on the Internet, but he was hit by a speeding car and broke his legs …
Unfortunately … Chief Editor Bob's forehead hurt slightly, and his heart was cold. He smiled bitterly, got into the car, and said to the driver, "Go to the hospital."
…
…
The Ministry of Justice building not far from Charter Square was in a similar mood at this time. The orders issued by the presidential palace and the Federation parliament at the same time forced the Macklin task force to suspend the investigation. After the resignation of the Minister of Justice, the independent prosecutor had to move out of his office.
Xiao Wenjing and Xu Songzi walked out of the Ministry of Justice building. The cold wind blew in their faces, and they almost shivered a few times. He looked at Xu Songzi's red face, smiled bitterly, and fastened the collar of her trench coat. After working day and night, this pair of senior and junior from the First Military Academy had become more familiar with each other and trusted each other more than before.
"I should be transferred back to the Ministry of Defense, what about you?" Xu Songzi looked at him with a trace of worry. She thought of the things that Xiao Wenjing secretly hid after the presidential palace order the day before yesterday, and her heart was a little heavy.
"Should be returned to the District Prosecutor's Office." Xiao Wenjing lowered his head slightly and looked at the snow under his feet. Suddenly, he frowned and said, "The departure of the important witness, Zhang Xiaomeng, is obviously because someone tampered with it. If we can find her again, things may turn around."
"All the case files have been handed over to the presidential palace and then handed over to the central database. This case is over." Xu Songzi hugged her arms and said softly, "No one can find Zhang Xiaomeng now. If they find her, it will probably be a corpse."
"But in fact, there is already a lot of evidence." Xiao Wenjing frowned and said, "I still want to continue to investigate."
Xu Songzi followed him forward. After a long silence, he said, "If there is anything you need me for, feel free to find me."
The sharp sound of brakes rang out beside the pair of young prosecutors. Two black official cars sped over and skidded to a stop in the snow, blocking their path. A few Federation investigators wearing dark formal suits walked out of the car. One of them looked at Xiao Wenjing and said coldly, "Prosecutor Xiao, you are involved in a vicious case at the end of November of the 67th year of the constitutional calendar. Please cooperate with our investigation."
Xiao Wenjing's face was slightly pale. She looked at Xu Songzi and knew that something was wrong, but she didn't know what was going on.
"I don't understand." Xiao Wenjing looked at the Federation Investigation Bureau official and reprimanded him with a frown, "What case? Even if there is a case, it should be a police matter. What does it have to do with the Federation Investigation Bureau? "
"You are a judicial officer of the Federation, and the case is extremely bad, so this case is taken over by the Federation Investigation Bureau." The official said coldly, "You are suspected of raping a young girl. I don't think we need to discuss it on the street, right?"
Xu Songzi looked at Xiao Wenjing in shock. Of course, she didn't believe this matter. She vaguely guessed that this matter must be related to the Macklin project. But what right did the other party have to make such a ridiculous accusation?
"Raping a young girl?" Xiao Wenjing's face was pale, but there was a trace of anger and agitation. He quickly thought of the pitiful little girl who had asked for a ride when he returned home last night. However … would there be anyone in the federation who would set up such a disgusting and shameless trap? He said angrily, "Shameless! What evidence do you have?! "
"You can put forward your own opinion. I just ask you to go back and accept the investigation." The Federation Investigation Bureau official said mockingly, "Although we didn't collect your semen, it could be an attempt. I can remind you that we found your skin tissue under the fingernails of the victim."
Xiao Wenjing took a deep breath and didn't want to say anything more. In this snowy evening, he thought of the sunny autumn when he was investigating the murder on Tiger Mountain Road.
He was an investigator who respected the law of the Federation very much. Although the cancellation of the Macklin project made him start to have a trace of doubt about the legal system of this society, he still had confidence in it. However, today, in the face of such a ridiculous and horrible accusation, he naturally thought of that sunny autumn day. The young officer named Xu Le once told him that the law was like a toy in the hands of many big people.
…
…
"The latest news is that Wood had a car accident, and Xiao Wenjing in the task force has been charged with a crime. The situation is very clear. The two of them are the most persistent people, so they must be suppressed. If you still insist, you will inevitably be suppressed. " On the other end of the phone, Zou Yu's voice was not as calm or even cold as usual. Instead, there was a trace of anxiety because she knew Xu Le's character better than anyone else. She knew that this stinky rock was really not ordinary.
Xu Le's eyes looked at the nine cigarette butts that looked like plum blossoms in the snow at his feet. His ears were listening to the latest news brought by Zou Yu. His heart was heavy and lonely. Mr. Shi was not by his side, and neither was Tai Zhiyuan. In the sea of more than ten billion people in the Federation, he could only trust Zou Yu. Even so, he still did not tell her that he was a fugitive from the Federation, and that Lady Tai had firmly grasped his information.
"Lin Banshan can't be contacted." Zou Yu quickly said on the other end of the phone, "I asked someone to find Zhang Xiaohua in Nankezhou, but even he doesn't know where Lin Banshan went after missing for a month. I don't know what urgent matter you have in Bermuda, but since you can't contact this person, I really don't have any other way. "
Xu Le asked very seriously, "Other than Lin Banshan, who else on the Federation's side can go deep into Bermuda? I want to find someone. To be precise, I want to save someone. "
"Lin Banshan is very powerful in the Bermuda Triangle, but the Federation's influence there is very weak. He is an anomaly. Other than him, I really can't think of anyone else." Zou Yu was suddenly silent on the other end of the phone for a long time before she said slowly, "Of course, if you can find someone from the West Woods Military Region, this is a different story."
The West Woods Military Region, the fourth military region of the Federation, the frontline between the Federation and the Empire, controlled the space channel that the Federation used to enter Bermuda, and was controlled by the Zhong family, one of the seven major families of the Federation, for countless years. In the vast universe, three major forces each occupied a part of the galaxy. The Bermuda Triangle was undoubtedly the weakest part of the three, but it was also the freest and craziest world. With the resources and population of the Triangle, it was able to survive extremely well in the confrontation between the Federation and the Empire. Other than proving that the people there had extremely strong survival abilities, there must be a deeper reason.
When facing the Bermuda Triangle, whether it was the Federation or the Empire, they could be extremely strong, but no one could really have a deep influence, let alone control. The only exception was Lin Banshan, the prodigal son of one of the seven major families of the Federation. Relying on life and death situations, he used six years to obtain his own special status and powerful strength in the underground society of Bermuda.
Knowing that Li Wei was in the distant Bermuda, Xu Le's first thought was to rescue his childhood friend. That was why he thought of asking for Lin Banshan's help through Zou Yu. Although he had thought about it before, Lin Banshan was after all a member of the Lin family. However, the hurried encounter on the high-speed railway made him not know why, but he always felt that the man with the mountain-like shoulders was worth looking forward to.
However, Lin Banshan had been missing for a month. Now, what other methods did Xu Le have? There was also the West Woods Military Region. Since even Lin Banshan could be found, why not the people of the West Woods Military Region? Xu Le knew that he was desperate, but he couldn't care less.
He looked up, grabbed a handful of snow from beside him and smeared it on his face to cool his burning face a little. He took a deep breath and drove away the figure of a little girl in a white nightgown in his mind. He reached into the pocket of his military uniform and fumbled for a long time before he found a somewhat worn card.
After receiving this card at the Capital Airport, he had carefully kept it close to him. Even when he was seriously injured and unconscious, this card did not leave his side. Until today, he could only pray that this card would be like the legendary magic card and summon a god with infinite magical power.
He dialed the string of numbers on the card. After waiting for a long time, Xu Le whispered in a slightly hoarse voice, "Hello, I am looking for Mrs. Zhong."
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