It had been nearly five months since the attack on the Four Prefectures Peace Foundation in January. In the past 100 days, the Federation government's investigation of this vicious terrorist incident seemed to have walked into a swamp of death that no one knew about.
No matter how unstable the public's atmosphere was because of this incident, and the atmosphere of social stability had already fallen, the government's investigation had always been strictly controlled within a very small area, and the confidentiality measures were done extremely well. Until today, most people in the Federation still did not know what happened in the Foundation building that day, how Senator Macklin died, and who the murderer was.
All the information was hidden behind a black curtain, which made the Zou family's eldest daughter, who looked cold and arrogant, but was actually sensitive and delicate, smell something strange.
The black curtain could often represent two completely different directions. The government suppressed everything, perhaps to hide something, and let the two men involved die quietly, never to speak again. But it could also be to protect the two men.
Hearing Zou Yu's words, Li Xiaotong was shocked. He raised his head and looked at her quietly. There was a hint of anxiety and warning in his usually cold eyes. He used to like the woman in red in front of him, and he could forget about it with a wave of his sleeve, but he still cared about her after all.
Li Xiaotong had a military identity. Although he rarely wore the military uniform and rarely went to work in the First Military Region, he knew very well how strict the Federal military's disciplinary measures were. The teaching content of the Department of Defense's training base had always been confidential. Moreover, if it really involved the surveillance video of that day, it was not something that ordinary people could know about, even if she was the daughter of the Minister of Defense.
"Your father shouldn't make this kind of mistake." He paused for a moment, lowered his head, and raised the chopsticks in his hand for the first time. He picked up two slices of white magnolia and put them in front of him, but did not put them into his mouth.
"I have my own information channel." Zou Yu looked at him with a smile and said, "If there is momentum, I have to be prepared in advance, so I need your financial support. I know that you have had a hard time in the past six months at home, but as I said before, your investment can only appreciate if Xu Le is alive. You should know that if Xu Le can survive, he has the potential to appreciate and the room for development. You want to be the head of the Li family? If you don't take some big risks, how can you reap great benefits? "
"You're not a very good lobbyist. You probably haven't done this kind of thing before." Li Xiaotong replied calmly, not paying attention to Zou Yu's expression that was gradually turning cold. He tapped his chopsticks lightly and said, "When I invested in Xu Le, it was because I thought that he could be like the owner of this garden and have the ability to break certain rules … because my life will not follow rules."
"But I never expected that Xu Le would break the rules so badly. Not many people in the Federation could tolerate the things he did."
A faint trace of sadness flashed in Li Xiaotong's eyes. He let out a self-deprecating smile and softly said, "His first equipment and the workbench he threw outside the Foundation's building were all bought with my money. Four months ago, the government had already found out about me. Yes, the elders at home definitely wanted to protect me, but my investment caused such a big trouble. My life in the past six months at home wasn't very hard like you said, but … it was almost impossible. "
He waved his hand to signal Zou Yu not to speak. His fingers left the chopsticks and placed on his knees. He lowered his head and thought for a long time in silence.
"I still insist that even if the upper echelons of the government have some new ideas, money won't play any role in this matter. But if you insist, I'll give you a sum of money when you need it."
After breaking the silence, Li Xiaotong gently patted his knees and answered with a smile. He looked at Zou Yu and said, "You're confused because you care. You're in a mess right now. You should be very clear that no matter how hard people like us try, it's impossible to rescue him from that small dark house where we don't know the specific location. You should go find that crown prince now. According to my information, he has already returned to the back of Mochou Mountain two months ago. "
Zou Yu sat on a cushion at the table and looked out of the window at the forest that had nothing. She didn't answer Li Xiaotong's words. A trace of fatigue and helplessness flashed across her calm and beautiful face. At this moment, she thought of a lot of things, so much so that she didn't notice when Li Xiaotong left.
She knew that Tai Zhiyuan had already returned to S1, but in the past year, her relationship with Lady Tai had become more and more distant, and her crown prince brother could no longer be contacted.
"I don't know where you two idiots are locked up." A trace of deep anger flashed through the corners of her eyes. The two guys who were secretly locked up by the Federation probably didn't know how much trouble they had caused for the Federation in the past few months, and how much she had worried about them.
After Li Xiaotong left, Zou Yu remained in the quiet room. She held the small wine cup between her fingers, raised it up and down her wrist, and drank one cup after another. After a while, a blush gradually appeared on her cheeks, adding to her beauty. It completely set off a woman who was exuding a different kind of charm.
After an indeterminate amount of time, the door was gently pushed open. A tall and thin man walked in and sat in front of her very naturally. He then poured himself a cup of wine and held it in his hands, slowly sipping. His posture was calm and unruffled, revealing the magnanimity of someone who was in control of everything.
From the moment he entered the room to the moment he sat in the chair, this outstanding man around 30 years old acted like a master returning to his own home.
Of course, Linyuan was originally owned by him.
Zou Yu slowly raised her head, put down the wine cup in her hand, and looked at the legendary figure in front of her that was collectively admired by the children of the aristocratic families. She smiled slightly and said, "I've told you about this matter last time. What do you think?"
Lin Banshan looked at the girl. It was extremely rare for the children of the aristocratic families to be pregnant out of wedlock. Although the Zou family was a newly established family, the daughter of the Minister of Defense was not the slightest bit affected by what had happened to her in the past year. It was rare to see her traveling and socializing so naturally.
"I've seen Xu Le on the train. He's a very good young man," he said with a smile. "However, in my memory of the Federation, the daughter of the Zou family was the daughter of the Zou family. The daughter of the Zou family is a cold-blooded woman who can order her subordinates to kill at any time. Is it because of her pregnancy that she has become so soft-hearted? "
Zou Yu smiled slightly and said to herself, "Regarding the matter of Xu Le, I've never been able to touch the truth, but the President's official residence and Parliament Hill seem to have different views, so I don't really understand."
"I'm just a reckless person." Lin Banshan slowly sipped the wine in his cup with a hint of appreciation. He looked at Zou Yu and said, "The major matters related to politics are not something that people like me can speculate and probe. Of course, I've always thought that those things are very dirty, dirtier than the level we're in, so I'm not willing to get involved."
Zou Yu was actually a little nervous at this time. Although she had attended the tea party with Lady Tai and had seen many powerful people in the Federation, she was no stranger to the children of the seven families of the Federation. But today, facing the most famous traitor of the Federation, the most famous unruly person in this circle, she always felt a little uneasy, but she hid this uneasiness very well.
She stabilized her breath and said with a smile, "But as far as I know, the matter of the Foundation Building seems to have something to do with you. I don't know the details, but if they really did contribute to the Federation, don't you think they shouldn't be locked up for life?"
Lin Banshan looked at her calmly. He had experienced a lot of ups and downs in his life. Although he had been nervous for a few months because of the Macklin incident, once it was over, his state of mind returned to the calmness of mountains and rivers. But the sudden words of the daughter of the Zou family made his eyes suddenly have a little more interest.
"I'm not the Seventh Young Master. I know that it's impossible for your information channels to know these things, at least it's impossible for you to know that this matter has something to do with me. "
Lin Banshan slowly stood up. "If it's Minister Zou's intention, you don't have to beat around the bush so much. I'll do what I need to do, but the Federation doesn't have a unified opinion, and it's not very appropriate to ask me, an outsider, to do something. "
Zou Yu could only remain silent when Lin Banshan easily saw through many things. She didn't notice that Lin Banshan's words about an outsider actually had a deeper meaning. If he was an outsider, then what kind of person was the insider who could solve this problem?
Lin Banshan said, "Li Xiaotong suggested that you look for the Crown Prince of the Tai family. If you don't mind, I also want to give you a suggestion."
Zou Yu looked up and asked seriously, "Please go ahead."
"Madman Li." Lin Banshan held the remaining wine in his glass and walked out of the door with a smile. He said with indescribable confidence and ease, "I remember that you have a good relationship with him."
…
…
After President Pabre took office, just as the policy critics had analyzed, the Deputy Minister of National Defense, Zou Yingxing, who was originally mainly in charge of logistics, took the position of the Minister. This general, who was only the director of the Federation's National Defense Base three years ago, was promoted three times in a row in a short time and sat in such a prominent position. It was a very shocking phenomenon.
The Zou family was still sitting in the courtyard in the western suburbs of the capital.
In the middle of the night, Zou Yu tiredly pushed open the door downstairs and walked in. She glanced at her father on the sofa, who was reading the newspaper with glasses on. She thought of the things that Lin Banshan saw through and wanted to say something, but didn't know how to start.
In fact, she also had doubts in her heart. A few days ago, in the study, her father intentionally or unintentionally revealed some inside information about the Golden Foundation Building incident to her. Then, he allowed her to contact those people in an attempt to rescue Xu Le and that guy … What faction of the military did her father represent by doing this? Sitting in the important position of the Minister of National Defense, there was no doubt that his every move had to be extremely cautious and careful. Was this the real reason why her father was indifferently watching her work?
The most important thing was, was her father doing this under the influence of the madam, or was there some secret instruction from the White Official Residence?
"Father, I'm back." Zou Yu greeted him very politely. Ever since she was pregnant, or after living with Xu Le for a period of time in the Wangdu apartment, the originally cold and unruly young lady's temperament had changed a lot. She may still be the same in her bones, but at least on the surface, she had become much more polite.
Minister Zou nodded. He didn't ask where his daughter went, who she met, or what she did. He just continued to read the newspaper seriously.
Zou Yu knew that she couldn't get more information from her father, so she went upstairs. Minister Zou, who was sitting on the sofa, looked up and watched his daughter's back as she went upstairs. After a moment of silence, he didn't open his mouth to ask. Instead, he lowered his head again.
Zou Yu's brother, Zou You, got married three months ago. He was currently living in a department of the second military region of S2. At this time, it was late at night, and the minister's wife was already asleep. The orderlies and waiters had all returned to the dormitory at the back. In this spacious building, it was so quiet that it made people feel a little worried.
Back in her bedroom suite, Zou Yu smiled and whispered a few words to the auntie who was taking care of the child. She asked how the child was doing today.
Walking to the bedside, she lowered her body and looked at the little boy's red face in the crib. She couldn't help but smile happily.
Zou Liuhuo was almost ten months old. Although he still couldn't speak, he could occasionally make a few monosyllabic sounds. It seemed like he was calling for his mother, but also seemed like he was calling for his father.
The door to the suite closed. Zou Yu moved a chair and sat beside the crib. She looked at her child quietly and said softly, "You will also be a man in the future. As a man, even if you can't support the heavens, you have to be world-shaking."
The corners of her lips curled up into a bright smile. She tilted her head and looked at Liu Huo. She said, "Your two fathers have done a world-shaking thing."
On the little boy's birth certificate, the name of Xu Le's father was recorded in the chip's file. However, his real father by blood was Shi Qinghai. Therefore, it was very appropriate for Zou Yu to say that they were his two fathers.
Pulling the soft cotton shirt under the child's chin, Zou Yu stood up tiredly and rubbed the numbness between her eyebrows. She was indeed very concerned about the two fellows who had disappeared without a trace. At the beginning, she didn't know if they were still alive. Now, she was worried about their safety. Would they really be locked up by the Federation for life?
Strangely, she was actually more concerned about Xu Le. After all, the face of Shi Qinghai, whom she had a one-night stand with, was a little blurry in her memory.
She looked at the dark night outside the window and thought that Xu Le, that stinky rock, must be locked up alone in a small dark room in the Federation's secret prison.
Not seeing the light for months, enduring loneliness or torture in the dark and damp, Zou Yu's expression became worried. She didn't know if he could make it.
…
…
The most heavily guarded prison in the Federation wasn't the local prosecutor's office, nor was it the top four military detention center of the Ministry of National Defense. Instead, it was a military prison in S1 Hulin State.
Compared to this military prison, even the legendary Fox Fortress Felon Prison in space would lose some of its deterrence.
It was because this military prison was called Qingcheng.
During the Federation's dynasty era, there was an ancient poem that once said that a smile could overturn a country, and another smile could overturn a city. This military prison was named Qingcheng, but it wasn't because of the romantic and artistic atmosphere. Instead, it meant that even if someone tried to overturn a city, no one would be able to save a single person from this prison.
This military prison had existed as early as ten thousand years ago during the dynasty era. At that time, it was an important prison used by the emperor to lock up dissidents. Countless years had passed, and Qingcheng prison was constantly reinforced and maintained. It was supplemented by all kinds of advanced surveillance systems and powerful and cold professional soldiers. It was even more sinister and terrifying than before. However, the people locked up in this prison were the same as before. They were all extremely important criminals.
Other than the high ranking military officers who had violated the law, when the Federation government was suppressing the seven great families, there were also countless powerful and important people who had once lingered here.
Those who were locked up in Qingcheng prison basically had no chance to leave. However, there were a few people who occasionally left. In the eyes of the people of the Federation, this experience was something they were most proud of. The people of the Federation didn't understand the essence of Qingcheng prison. Most of them didn't even know where this prison was. However, this didn't affect them from having a certain understanding — only those who had been in Qingcheng prison were truly important people.
Different from what the outside world imagined, the heavily guarded military prison didn't look sinister and terrifying from the outside. A few buildings were scattered randomly on the wasteland by the mountain range. From the outside, there wasn't any high-voltage barbed wire, nor were there any towering sentry towers or advanced surveillance networks. Even fully armed soldiers were rarely seen.
However, in reality, Qingcheng prison was under the comprehensive surveillance of the Federal Central Computer. No one knew what kind of dangers were hidden in this seemingly peaceful prison. For countless years, no one had been able to successfully escape from this prison. This was enough to prove that this military prison's reputation was not in vain.
Qingcheng prison occupied an extremely large area, but in recent years, the number of serious criminals locked up was extremely small. After all, the politics of the Federation was becoming more and more transparent. There weren't that many important people locked up here. The Federal military had always been preparing for the war with the Empire, so there wouldn't be too many serious criminals sent here.
The brilliance of the noon sun penetrated the transparent dome of the prison and fell on the ground. In an area separated by a high hardness material, more than thirty prisoners in prison uniforms were eating lunch.
The nutrition for lunch was different. Dozens of serious criminals, old or young, with white hair or shaved heads, had all kinds of expressions on their faces. Some were as lonely as a poet, some were as angry as a poet, and some were as calm and composed as a good poet.
Of the serious criminals locked up here, some had killed countless people, some had committed treason. None of them had the extravagant hope of leaving this place alive. During the meal, the atmosphere had become somewhat sparking due to the long period of boredom. However, it was suppressed by the cold soldiers holding the standard taser guns upstairs. As a result, they could only coldly look at each other and look around, using their eyes to emit the smell of blood in their bodies.
Clang! Clang! Two dull sounds of metal colliding rang out. The serious criminals in the cafeteria raised their heads almost at the same time, looking toward the passage at the entrance of the prison.
The electrically controlled alloy door at the passage slowly opened, revealing a group of people. Four soldiers, who were not equipped with weapons, nervously held the black high-polymer lassos in their hands as if they were facing a great enemy. The front end of the four lassos was tightly tied around a person's neck.
A new person had arrived at Qingcheng Prison. The serious criminals eating at the cafeteria looked over curiously. It should be known that it had been a long time since a qualified prisoner had entered this boring prison. They looked at the new prisoner with smiles. Some of the serious criminals thought that there was finally one more person to talk to, but even more people's eyes revealed a cruel and murderous mood. They thought that there was finally a new person who would bleed and cry to help them pass the time of despair.
However, all the emotions in their eyes disappeared a moment after they were cast toward the entrance of the passage. What replaced it was shock and disbelief, and there was also a faint fear and fear.
…
…
The new prisoner who had his neck restrained by the black lassos was a young man. Although his messy black hair draped over his shoulders like messy grass, making it difficult to tell his exact age, the soft black hair and that pale face still retained the unique vitality of a young man.
He had not seen the sun for five months, so his face was naturally pale. Naturally, no one took care of his hair. The new prisoner narrowed his eyes and greedily looked at the noon sun through the transparent dome above his head. It was as if he was not worried at all that the blazing sun would burn his retina.
His pair of eyes, which were not big to begin with, became two thin slits because he squinted too hard.
The four soldiers who escorted him to the prison saw the prisoner stop where he was. They thought of the strict instructions from their superiors and the terrifying strength of this person in the rumors. Their hearts could not help but shrink nervously. They subconsciously exerted force with their arms at the same time and pulled on the black lassos.
The young prisoner, however, seemed to have taken root under his feet. He was steady and did not move at all. He still raised his head and looked at the sun with narrowed eyes for a while. Then he lowered his head and used both hands to push the messy hair hanging by his face to the back of his head, revealing his pale face. Only then did he obediently follow the movements of the soldiers and take a step forward.
It was only one step, but there was a dull sound of metal clashing where his foot landed. His feet were shackled with electrically controlled magnetic shackles made of alloy. The shackles that reflected the metallic light looked very beautiful, but they weighed as much as 30 kilograms. Especially when they came into contact with the silver tunnel on the ground, the strong magnetic force made the sound even louder.
He also wore special electrically controlled handcuffs on his hands. Perhaps it was not quite right to call them handcuffs because the thick and heavy metal rings were worn on his thin arms. They looked very out of place.
The thick and heavy handcuffs and shackles, and the pale and thin prisoner, were like the powerless youth in Schiller's play who was bound in a gloomy little house made of iron.
As the soldier nervously pulled, the new prisoner frowned and slowly moved his feet forward. With every step he took, he had to fight against the strong magnetic force on the ground, and it was extremely difficult for him to walk.
As he slowly walked, the dull and clear sound of metal clashing continuously sounded from under his body, resounding throughout the entire prison.
Separated by a transparent material wall, the eyes of the prisoners followed the movements of the new prisoner. The emotions in their eyes had long become incomparable shock and fear.
Who was this new prisoner? The prison had actually used a magnetic restriction that had not been used for many years. Some of the prisoners felt a chill in their hearts because they could clearly see that in the heavy magnetic shackles on the new prisoner's body, the red light of an electrically controlled explosion was constantly lit.
…
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