Chapter 108 The Dragon City Rises (Part 2)

Hearing Kang Dinghuang's words, Su Tianyu stopped and looked at him with his hands behind his back. Hou Guoyu and the others behind him retreated on their own, standing shoulder to shoulder at the entrance of the banquet hall, giving the two of them space to talk.

Su Tianyu examined this opponent, and found that he couldn't muster even a shred of hatred in his heart. It wasn't that he had forgotten the past, but rather that he already foresaw the future outcome of this opponent.

But Su Tianyu certainly couldn't claim to have any sympathy for this outcome, because it was the path the other party had chosen for himself.

If he were to accurately assess Gou Liuzi's (Dog Six) state of mind at this moment, it would be one of calm, of indifference.

The two of them stood in silence, facing each other. Su Tianyu opened his mouth and asked, "Since you know you're going to fail, why did you still come?"

Kang Dinghuang said indifferently, "Political posturing always requires a process."

Su Tianyu chuckled, "Heh, it seems you're very pessimistic about the prospects of your First District's negotiations."

When he said this sentence, he deliberately emphasized the words "your First District."

Kang Dinghuang's lips curled into a wry smile when he heard this casual, sarcastic remark.

Afterwards, as if chatting with an old friend, he softly spoke his innermost thoughts, "Actually, to be honest, I admire you guys. Because I never thought that the war between Dragon City and the First District would actually end with your victory. I've always firmly believed that the way out for overseas Chinese is to survive by dependence, not by resistance. After all, war always brings disaster. Things are unpredictable... I didn't dare to think it, but you dared to win... Facts have proven that the path I chose was wrong."

Su Tianyu glanced at him, and said meaningfully, "For those of you who live in the First District and hold high positions, you have better, wider roads to walk. Like the boulevards of New York City, like the avenues of the capital, what you see is neon brilliance, wealth, and power. But for many people in Dragon City who live at the bottom, for those who bear the burden of oppressive decrees on their shoulders, they can only choose the dirtiest, most difficult, and most painful road, and walk it to the end. Because if they don't, there's no way to move forward."

Hearing these words, Kang Dinghuang was silent for a long time, looking at the rebuilt Dragon City in the distance, and replied with his hands behind his back, "Perhaps you're right. Six years... This place has really changed, quiet, prosperous."

Su Tianyu looked at him and said, word by word, "Everyone who sees the rebuilt Dragon City after the war has the right to be moved, but you alone don't. At least not in front of us! Not in front of those soldiers and families who fell in Haiyan Pit and lie buried in the Martyrs' Cemetery. And even less in front of the millions of Dragon City people who suffered and were displaced by the war!!"

After saying that, he no longer hesitated and strode away.

Kang Dinghuang's lips moved slightly as he watched his back, but in the end, he didn't refute the statement.

Hou Guoyu walked over, and as he passed Kang Dinghuang, he said expressionlessly, "During the negotiations, I advise you not to wander around... There are many people here who hate you."

Kang Dinghuang stared blankly at him, without saying a word.

Hou Guoyu turned his head, strode away, and followed Su Tianyu into the car.

The convoy slowly drove away from the banquet hall compound, heading straight for the administrative building.

A little while later, in the car, Hou Guoyu couldn't help but say, "Damn it, after the negotiations are over, our first condition will be to make them hand over Kang Dinghuang!"

Su Tianyu looked out the window with his hands clasped and said softly, "Actually... Kang Dinghuang is a simple person."

Hou Guoyu was taken aback when he heard this.

Su Tianyu continued, "You say he's a traitor... yes, and no."

Hou Guoyu asked, "What do you mean?"

Su Tianyu turned around, looked at him and said, "I've been his opponent for more than a decade, I understand him. From the very beginning, Kang Dinghuang was determined that Dragon City couldn't win, so his strategy was to rely on others, a completely different political idea from ours. And politics can't be simply judged by right or wrong. The direction of a piece of history and the fate of tens of millions of people, all judged by whether one person is right or wrong, is not very fair. Simply put, even without Kang Dinghuang, there would be Li Dinghuang, Wang Dinghuang, this period of history would give rise to such people."

Hou Guoyu gritted his teeth and said, "I don't understand what you're saying. All I know is that so many of our people died at his hands, and if I had the chance, I would definitely kill him with my own hands!"

Su Tianyu paused, then turned his head to look out the window again, and said faintly, "Don't worry, the problem you're talking about will be solved for you."

Gou Liuzi's assessment of Kang Dinghuang at this moment was very calm. And with calm comes the absence of extreme emotions, he had already seen the latter's ending.

...

Two days later, just as the Dragon City side and the First District's negotiating representatives were preparing to conduct the second round of negotiations, the other side suddenly received an order from the Great District Council and hastily returned to the First District.

On the return flight, Kang Dinghuang sat in the cabin, resting with his eyes closed. Just then, a burst of rapid footsteps sounded, and his secretary leaned over the seat, his voice urgent, "Director... It's been announced. The old Commander-in-Chief officially submitted his resignation to the Great District Council today... According to our internal sources, it was the Great District Council that forced him to step down."

Kang Dinghuang was speechless for a long time after hearing this. There was only one month left before the election, and the Great District Council was in such a hurry to force the old Commander-in-Chief to step down, there should only be one purpose.

After a long silence, he slowly nodded, "Okay, I understand."

The secretary paused for a moment, then asked softly, "Director, after landing, should we go back to the base immediately and meet Commander-in-Chief Lin?"

Hearing this, Kang Dinghuang smiled wryly, and waved his hand, "There's no need to go to the base, there's no need to meet Commander-in-Chief Lin in the future."

The secretary didn't understand what he meant for a moment after hearing this. But no matter how he pondered, many things had already come to an end silently.

That night, the plane arrived in the First District. Kang Dinghuang didn't go to the office with the others, but instead gave his secretary and the people in his team a long vacation, letting them go back to rest on their own. He returned to his residence alone, locked himself in his home, and never came out again.

...

Three days later, Kang Dinghuang received a notice at home that the Qingyi Bureau (Blue Clothes Bureau) was about to be disbanded, and he was informed that he must hand over his work to the Central Bureau of the First District.

After receiving this notice, Kang Dinghuang still did not return to the Qingyi Bureau, but instead notified the incumbent Deputy Director, ordering him to supervise the matter, while he claimed to be ill and continued to stay at home.

Time flew by, and another month and a half passed. The election results in the First District were out, and the new Commander-in-Chief delivered his inaugural speech to the media.

On this day, Kang Dinghuang was cooking noodles in his apartment as usual, and playing video games when there was a sudden knock on the door.

"Knock knock knock!"

Holding the controller, Kang Dinghuang shouted loudly, "The password is four sixes, come in yourself."

"Beep beep beep beep--"

There was the sound of someone entering the password outside the door, followed by the door opening, and two men in suits walked in. One of the young men was the current Deputy Director of the Qingyi Bureau, and he had been promoted by Commander-in-Chief Lin of the Chinese Legion in recent years.

The young man waved his hand, motioning for his companion to stay at the door, while he himself walked over, looked at the engrossed Kang Dinghuang, and smiled with his hands behind his back, "Director Kang, I always see you playing this game, aren't you tired of it?"

Kang Dinghuang said with a smile, "Hehe, there's one level I can never pass."

The young man nodded, bent down and sat on the sofa next to him, saying nothing, just watching him continue to play the game.

Kang Dinghuang kept his eyes on the screen and said softly, "Don't worry, it's almost over, I'll pass it soon."

The young man smiled and waved his hand, "No rush."

Five minutes later, a burst of electronic music suddenly came from the TV, followed by the sound of firecrackers, and a string of large characters popped up: "Congratulations, you have achieved a perfect completion!"

Kang Dinghuang looked at the large characters on the screen, couldn't help but let out a long sigh, casually wiped the sweat from his forehead, and looked at the young man with a relaxed expression and asked, "Have you been transferred to the Central Bureau?"

The young man nodded, "Yes, our Qingyi Bureau has merged with the other side, the procedures have all been completed."

Kang Dinghuang slapped his thigh, stood up and said, "Okay, that's great, then let's go."

Hearing this, the young man slowly stood up, took out an arrest warrant from his pocket with a helpless expression, and unfolded it in his hand, reading aloud, "Kang Dinghuang, on behalf of the Internal Investigation Department of the Chinese Legion, I hereby officially inform you that you are under isolated investigation."

Kang Dinghuang didn't seem too surprised, only nodded slowly as a response.

The young man looked at him, stood at attention and saluted, and said with a serious expression, "Director, the higher-ups have ordered it, I have no choice but to do it."

Kang Dinghuang said nothing, patted him on the shoulder, and walked out. At the moment he pushed the door open, he saw more than twenty people standing outside, some with shocked expressions, some saluting him.

Among them, there were many who he had personally brought up. Kang Dinghuang said nothing, and silently stepped into the car next to him.

The game was completed, and life also came to an end.

...

After nearly a month of isolated investigation, the Investigation Department of the General Headquarters made more than fifty criminal charges against Kang Dinghuang, including suspicion of using his position to commit crimes, accepting bribes, and embezzling public funds, and he was taken into custody in Zha Island Prison.

For the rest of his life, Kang Dinghuang would spend every day in this prison. He was sentenced to life imprisonment by the First District Military Court and would never be eligible for parole.

In fact, Kang Dinghuang was very clear about this result in his heart. Because when Commander Wang died, his backstage in the Chinese Legion Headquarters collapsed, and since then no one supported him.

When Commander-in-Chief Lin came to power, Kang Dinghuang was still able to be reused because the old Commander-in-Chief had not yet stepped down. The Chinese Legion needed someone to continue to negotiate with Dragon City.

Obviously, Kang Dinghuang was the most suitable candidate.

However, after the new Commander-in-Chief came to power, he completely negated the previous political strategy and military thinking. The mess left by the old Commander-in-Chief was destined to have someone take the blame.

The birds are gone, the good bow is put away. Faced with the Qingyi Bureau, which had been dirtied and cursed by the people of the First District, and considering the grievances and hatred of the people of the First District towards the local Chinese leadership, Director Kang, Chief of Staff Kang, who had been running around in the southern region, working hard for the First District to recover Dragon City, became the biggest political scapegoat.

After all, events such as wasting money and manpower, internal chaos, and the failure of the war in the Old Mexican region all needed a sufficient and reasonable outlet for venting.

The Qingyi Bureau and Kang Dinghuang were naturally the best candidates.

This was why Su Tianyu saw no hatred or pity in his eyes when he looked at him, only calm.

This is politics, one wrong move, and the whole game is lost.

After being sentenced to life imprisonment, Kang Dinghuang lived in prison for a full sixteen years, and finally died of liver cancer on a bright sunny morning.

In his last days, he was terminally ill, blind, emaciated, weighing less than seventy pounds, and without even one person by his side.

For a talented and very conceited person, this kind of death, this long-term detention, was undoubtedly the most humiliating and painful way to leave.

But compared to the heroes and innocent people who died at the hands of the Qingyi Bureau, he couldn't be considered pitiful. In this matter, God may be fair.

At this point, Kang Dinghuang, who had been playing chess with Su Tianyu for more than a decade, left this world forever.

...

Three months after the new Commander-in-Chief came to power, negotiations with Dragon City were reopened. The negotiating representatives this time were the new Minister of Military and Political Affairs, and a team from the Great District Council led by the People's Livelihood Party.

After more than forty rounds of close negotiations, most of the issues were finally agreed upon.

On the issue of territorial disputes, Dragon City came up with a solution. Because this territory was originally a region that the First District had invaded the Old Mexican region at an extremely low price, almost plundering it.

And the First District was unwilling to admit the fact of defeat, and stubbornly insisted on saving face, so it once again returned this region to the Old Mexican region on extremely low terms.

After taking back the territory, the Old Mexican region gave it to the Dragon City Renmin Government free of charge and permanently, and they also received the world's fastest and most efficient all-round assistance and guidance.

After the negotiations were unblocked, the time for reckoning came.

First of all, the Wang family suffered an almost devastating blow.

Because the dispute in Dragon City had completely ended, they, like Kang Dinghuang, were no longer of any use to the First District. On the contrary, they could be used to exchange a large number of senior generals who were captured in Dragon City.

However, Wang An, who had already undergone plastic surgery, didn't want to go back and suffer, so he chose to commit suicide by poisoning when he was arrested.

When the people from the Central Bureau found him, they found that his body had rotted, with more than a dozen perforations in his abdomen, and he had bled to death from all seven orifices.

Wang Xiao, Wang Zhengjun, and other key members of the Wang family were secretly arrested and sent to Dragon City.

Regarding this matter, Gu Baishun asked Su Tianyu for his opinion. The latter felt disgusted just hearing the names of these people, filled with indescribable revulsion, and waved his hand directly to Gu Baishun, telling him to extradite these people to the Hua District and hand them over to Jiangzhou to clean up their own house.

During this period, the First District continued to arrest and expel all members of the Wang family's armed forces, sending them all to Dragon City.

On the other side, after Kong Zhenghui's accident, Kong Zhengqi had already run to a certain place in the south to hide, but he was eventually captured by Gu Baishun's men. After being brought back, he was directly handed over to the Dragon City Military Court for trial.

Kong Zhengqi himself was sentenced to death on the spot and was shot last fall.

The remaining members of the Kong family were also swept out the door by the First District, and arrested for economic crimes, and were sent back to Dragon City along with the Wang family.

For this reason, Dabe's father and his elderly second uncle specifically found Su Tianyu to make a request, saying that Kong Zhenghui and Kong Zhengqi were dead, and they should be treated kindly to their families.

In the office, Su Tianyu looked at the two gray-haired old men and replied helplessly, "I can't give them special privileges, because that would be unfair to Tonghui, and unfair to Tonghui's father and family, and even more unfair to Wen Xiaorou, who hasn't returned yet! The most I can do is to conduct an open and fair trial for them. What crimes they have committed, whether they have economic problems in Dragon City, will all be judged by law, so please don't say anything more."

The two old men heard this and didn't try to persuade him any further.

At this point, the Kong family fell into decline. Most of the personnel in Dragon City were involved in serious violations of discipline and economic problems. Without targeting them, the National Intelligence Agency provided evidence, allowing the court to try them, and many were sentenced to life imprisonment, and some were sentenced to death.

Of the five elders who originally founded the Tongji Association under one roof, Su, Yu, Bai, Kong, and Zhou, only the Kong Zhenghui family came to an end. And although the Zhou family lost Tonghui, Grandpa Zhou and the others lived a comfortable life in the Hua District.

...

Before Dragon City and the First District began their final negotiations, Su Tianyu took a military vehicle to a small bar outside Zhanan. He turned his head and said to Hou Guoyu and Da Xiong in the car, "You can wait for me in the car, no need to come down."

After saying that, Su Tianyu pushed open the car door and walked into the bar. In a dark corner, he saw a familiar figure, the decadent Yu Mingyuan.

At the same time, on the street.

Hou Guoyu pushed open the door and got out of the car, lit a cigarette, held the phone, and said to his wife with a smile, "Oh, if the child is crying, just feed him some milk. If I drink it, I drink it, and if he drinks it, he drinks it, why are you calculating it so carefully?"

A woman's voice came from the phone: "Get lost! When are you coming back?"

Hou Guoyu looked at his watch: "A little later, I'll go home a little later!"

The phone hung up, and Hou Guoyu, with a happy smile on his face, grinned and walked towards Da Xiong, who was bowing his head and fiddling with his phone.

Three years ago, this Brigade Commander Hou was already married. He married a nurse from a battlefield hospital. The two had a deep relationship, and they had already had two children. They were preparing to have a third one, and their ability to cultivate the land was extremely strong.

At this time, Da Xiong was still concentrating on sending text messages. Hou Guoyu stretched his neck and glanced at it from behind, and found that he was chatting with a woman with a very cute avatar, using extremely ambiguous and even a little lewd language.

"Pa!"

Hou Guoyu slapped Da Xiong on the back of the neck fiercely, the sound crisp and loud.

The latter hurriedly turned his head and shouted at him, "Are you sick, hitting... hitting me for what?"

Hou Guoyu smiled and said to him, "Seeing you stuttering usually, you're quite good with these little words!"

Da Xiong glared at him: "I'm... I'm just tongue-tied, not... not brainless!"

Hou Guoyu looked at him with his hands behind his back and continued to tease, "You bastard, don't you love Third Sister anymore?"

Da Xiong paused, looked at the night scene on the street and said, "...Man... the manifestation of a man's maturity is knowing what is ideal and what is reality. She has her life, so I must... have my life too!"