The political negotiations between the Federation government and Green Dragon Mountain had mostly come to an end. Both sides had reached a broad consensus, which was why this handshake in front of the Parliament's mountain gate was possible. The political prisoners locked up in the prison were all released, and the exchange of prisoners of war accumulated over the past seven years had long been completed. Only a portion of the issues related to the George Carlin Youth Army were still in dispute.
Over the past few years, the federal government had been accusing the Green Dragon Mountain of inciting the youth through kidnapping and brainwashing. Furthermore, the federal government had targeted the three hundred missing persons cases against the Green Dragon Mountain. During the negotiations, the government demanded that the anti-government forces of the Green Dragon Mountain immediately hand over the youths and let them return to their warm homes. However, the Green Dragon Mountain insisted that the youths had entered the mountain voluntarily. They had been inspired by the ideals of the George Carlinism and the anti-government forces, so they had resolutely left their homes.
Because it involved many angry parents, the Federation government did not make any clear concessions during the negotiations. However, these small differences could not stop the entire Federation from calling for unity and jointly resisting the Empire's surging momentum. Relevant negotiations continued, and other aspects had long begun to develop in a good direction.
Before this historic handshake, the anti-government army had already accepted the government's proposed peace plan. The leader of Nanshui refused the proposal to enter the Federation management committee as an honorary chairman, and even coldly refused the position of vice president that Mr. Byron had so generously and farsightedly offered. He chose to return to Green Dragon Mountain and live in seclusion after the negotiations, but agreed that a considerable portion of the anti-government army would be reorganized into the government army.
This portion of the anti-government army would be transferred to the First Military Region, and in the extremely short future, they would be thrown into the fiery frontlines of the West Woods region. The Nanshui leader and the anti-government central committee firmly believed that this was the only way to send a sufficiently clear message to the entire Federation. Green Dragon Mountain was willing to reconcile with the government, not because of any political or benefit considerations, but only to resist the Empire's bloody invasion. These weren't just words, but also what they were about to do.
…
…
Unlike last year's presidential election, Xu Le knew nothing about the political changes in the upper echelons of the Federation. During that time, he had always been locked up in the Black Prison or training officers in the base. The reason he was sitting in Charter Square today was because he was waiting for a piece of good news that he had been waiting for for a long time.
Through the training exercises in the base, Xu Le proved his value to the upper echelons of the Federation government. The relevant departments finally softened their attitude in the face of his persistent application. Of course, more importantly, because of the current political climate in the Federation, the presidential residence finally issued an amnesty document signed by President Pabre, the Minister of Justice, and the Minister of Defense.
There was a sea of people in front of Parliament Hill, but the Charter Square was somewhat quiet and lonely. Xu Le narrowed his eyes as he watched the real-time picture on the light beam. Listening to the thunderous applause and President Pabre's firm words, he was somewhat absent-minded for a moment.
A dark green military vehicle drove over from the west side of the street. It was about twenty meters away from the bench where Xu Le was sitting, but it could not go any further. This was because at some point in time, in the corner of Charter Square, there suddenly appeared a few calm and strong men. They blocked in front of Xu Le and stopped the military vehicle.
After leaving the base and starting their vacation, Team Seven still left six people around Xu Le as a security force. Although Xu Le was the highest director of Team Seven, the arrangement of the Ministry of Defense was still a little surprising. At this time, the few men blocking the military vehicle were the armed members of Team Seven led by Xiong Linquan.
Major Lan Xiaolong appeared behind Xu Le's bench, glanced at the hand signal from Xiong Linquan, nodded, and whispered in Xu Le's ear, "No problem."
Xu Le shook his head, got up and walked to the military vehicle, and said, "The pardon order has been issued, the government can't go back on their words. Besides, even if they want to go back on their words, why bother with me?"
"This is the order of the Ministry of Defense, your safety is the focus of our work." Lan Xiaolong shrugged, followed behind him and said, "Besides, this friend of yours is not an ordinary person, who knows what accidents might happen, it's never wrong to be careful."
At this time, the side door of the dark green military vehicle opened, and a man walked out of the vehicle. His cheeks were pale, and his hair was messy in the autumn wind. Only that pair of peach blossom eyes and that beautiful and handsome face did not seem to be worn away by nearly a year in prison.
After the handsome and haggard man got out of the vehicle, he looked up at the sky, completely ignoring the lively news on the light screen behind him. He took a deep breath, narrowed his eyes, and seemed to be extremely intoxicated.
Looking at this scene, Xu Le silently quickened his pace and walked toward him, but in his heart, he was thinking about the news from the Xishan Compound. It was said that in the negotiations between the government and the anti-government army, there was no such arrangement. It was the legendary anti-government army intelligence leader who personally proposed the conditions to the government Federation's investigation director. If it was not for this, this guy would probably continue to be locked up.
The last time the two sat in the pool of Senator Macklin's blood, smoking and listening to the sound of the bell, it was almost a year ago.
Two months ago, the Federation government restarted the Macklin project. This seed of the Empire, the shrewd senator, was still not at peace after his death, and gradually, the Federation stripped him of his bright exterior.
Macklin died, Macklin stinked, Pabre became the president, Nanshui came to the capital, and the Federation was reconciled. It was said that a few days ago, the former president of the Federal Academy of Science, Lin Yuanhu, died quietly. The world always changed so quickly, so quickly that the people in it did not have time to feel the relationship between the sea and the field before they realized that they were no longer in the same place.
The dark green military vehicle drove away silently. The amnesty of the Federation government was always so quiet. No one wanted this kind of political transaction to be exposed to the public.
Xu Le walked up to him and looked him up and down with narrowed eyes. He took out a pack of 37 cigarettes from the pocket of his military uniform and put one between Macklin's dry and thin lips. Carefully blocking the wind with his hand, he lit it seriously.
With a hiss, the flame on the end of the cigarette lit up brightly, retreating quickly like the burning twilight on the plains.
Shi Qinghai took a deep breath, narrowed his eyes, and furrowed his brows. He seemed to be in pain, but he seemed to be enjoying it, but he was silent for a long time. After a while, he took the cigarette out from between his lips and handed it to Xu Le.
Xu Le took it and also took a deep drag. He choked and coughed a few times. With a slightly hoarse voice, he said, "You've lost a bit of weight, but other than that, you haven't changed much."
"Of course." Shi Qinghai looked at Xu Le with a smile and said, "You should know better than anyone what kind of person I am."
"How did you survive five months in the black prison?" Xu Le handed the cigarette over and took one for himself. This was the question he was most worried about in the past few months. When he was in the Fox Fortress, the old man chatted with him and played porn for him. But how did Shi Qinghai survive those cold and silent years by himself?
"I'm a professional." Shi Qinghai smiled, but his smile was a bit fierce. Perhaps even he didn't want to recall those dark days. After a pause, he continued, "I didn't suffer much in the past few months, probably after you were pardoned … In fact, I even made a few acquaintances in the black prison of the Fox Fortress."
"You're indeed fiercer than me," Xu Le said seriously.
The autumn wind gradually rose. In the quiet Charter Square, there was only the sound of President Pabre's speech on the screen and the two men whispering to each other.
Lan Xiaolong, Xiong Linquan, and the rest of the six people stood not far away, vigilantly watching the surroundings. However, they clearly heard the conversation between Xu Le and Shi Qinghai.
At this time, they had a rough idea that Xu Le had learned to call himself 'young master' in class from this man. However, in their opinion, he was very qualified to call himself 'young master' since he had graduated with the best grades from No.1 Academy, an excellent spy who traveled between the government and the anti-government army, and an awesome person who had assassinated Macklin.
"During the days when I was locked up, I always thought that if I could get out, I must meet someone. Guess who it is?" Shi Qinghai had lit his second cigarette at this time. He squatted by the side of the street and said.
Xu Le also squatted down and replied, "I don't think it's me."
"You're not good-looking." Shi Qinghai smiled slightly. That pair of mesmerizing peach blossom eyes gradually bloomed in the autumn wind, revealing a trace of intoxicating longing and yearning.
"I've already made the arrangements." Xu Le lowered his head and said, "She will bring Liu Huo to see you tonight."
…
…
The autumn wind was similarly bleak in front of the Xishan Compound. The soldiers standing guard at the entrance and the aura of the Compound of Iron and Blood made this bleak atmosphere even more intense.
Zou Yu was wearing a black windbreaker today, carrying the real Liu Huo in her arms. The cold expression between her eyebrows was particularly clear and piercing because of the change in color of her clothes.
The facial features of this minister's daughter always gave off a feeling of being bright and beautiful. When it came to beauty, she was really beautiful to the extreme. However, whether it was in front of people or behind the scenes, whether it was the red-clothed girl back then or the beautiful mother now, most of the time, her straight eyebrows always gave off a sense of coolness. In front of Xu Le, she actually no longer deliberately acted as a character. However, on this occasion, she put on this mask again.
Xu Le walked out of the black car and smiled slightly at her. His gaze caught a trace of red from the collar of her windbreaker, the kind that was so bright that it was somewhat piercing to the eyes.
The car started moving. Zou Yu sat in the passenger's seat and broke the silence at an unexpected point. Her voice was extremely cold. "My family thinks that I'm going out to eat with you. When you bring me back later, don't let it slip."
"I'm just going to see an old friend. Why make it seem like I'm going to war?" Xu Le looked ahead and said.
The black car stopped below a high-class apartment in the South City of the capital. Xu Le carried the child and walked into the elevator with Zou Yu. The elevator only opened when it reached the top floor. Xu Le looked at Zou Yu, who was walking towards the room, and felt a tinge of warmth in his heart. He softly instructed Xiong Linquan, who had been guarding here, about some safety matters.
Just as he was about to leave, Zou Yu suddenly turned around and said in an indifferent tone that left no room for doubt, "Come and pick me up in an hour."
Xu Le was slightly stunned before nodding.
(Yes, there's another chapter later. There's no rush to say goodbye today …)
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