Wu Dingfeng retrieved a bottle of Erguotou from under his desk and said to Chen Jinzhao, "I don't have fine wine, but I do have a strong one. You won't mind, will you?"
Chen Jinzhao laughed heartily.
Soldiers like them preferred stronger alcohol.
Xuanwu also laughed heartily and said to Wu Dingfeng, "Old Wu, I didn't expect you to have such a taste. Quickly, fill our cups."
Wu Dingfeng chuckled and poured three cups of wine.
Then he raised his cup and said, "This cup of wine is just a token of my appreciation. I can't drink much more, as we still have a mission to undertake."
The three clinked their glasses and drank in one go.
The faces of the three men were flushed to varying degrees. Wu Dingfeng chuckled, "Alright, the wine is finished. It's time for us to leave."
"Jinzhao, take care of yourself!"
Chen Jinzhao's nose felt a sting. He said to the two, "I wish you both a smooth journey!"
Xuanwu had nothing more to say. After another laugh, he and Wu Dingfeng quickly left the command center. Chen Jinzhao sat alone in the command center, lost in thought.
He clenched his fists, then slammed them hard on the table.
Not strong enough!
If he were strong enough, who would dare treat him like this?
"It's truly stifling to endure being a subordinate. I've never felt so pathetic in my life, and the terrifying thing is that I'll have to continue being a subordinate for another twenty or thirty years." Chen Jinzhao shook his head and sighed.
Ten minutes later.
He heard the sound of fighter jets taking off, knowing that Wu Dingfeng and Xuanwu were on their way. He silently chanted in his heart, "You must come back alive. I will always wait for you. If you both fall, I will personally avenge you and see that everyone involved in this case loses their heads."
After sitting for a while longer, Chen Jinzhao felt extremely restless, so he ordered Su Shanshui to be brought in.
Su Shanshui was already manacled. He had clearly heard the news of Wu Dingfeng and Xuanwu heading to the capital. Seeing Chen Jinzhao's dejected expression, he smirked mockingly, "It doesn't feel good to be a subordinate, does it? Heh heh... If I were you, I'd have already charged to the capital. Why be a subordinate? What's the point of living if not to be unrestrained?"
"I'll kill you right now and let you be unrestrained." Chen Jinzhao suddenly spoke.
Su Shanshui's expression changed. His taunt had not only failed to work but had also backfired, with Chen Jinzhao threatening him instead.
He let out a cold snort, offering no response.
"Do you know why I called you here?" Chen Jinzhao asked.
Su Shanshui obviously did not know.
Before he could answer, Chen Jinzhao smiled faintly, "If either one of them sacrifices their life, I will immediately take your head."
"You are truly a madman, a complete and utter madman," Su Shanshui cursed.
Chen Jinzhao narrowed his eyes, an icy chill emanating from him. He said word by word, "If I am a madman, then what are you? To grow old without dying is to be a villain!"
Just then.
The phone on the table vibrated a few times. Chen Jinzhao picked up the communicator and glanced at it, his expression becoming even more complex.
After putting down the communicator, he looked at Su Shanshui.
The latter's heart skipped a beat. He had a premonition that something bad had happened and couldn't help but ask, "Chen Jinzhao, why are you looking at me like that? What exactly has happened?"
"Su Canghai is dead," Chen Jinzhao said calmly.
Su Shanshui's pupils suddenly contracted to the size of pinpricks.
"What did you say?!"
"Canghai... he's dead? How could he possibly be dead? You killed him!"
"Chen Jinzhao, you have immense courage to dare assassinate an official of the court!"
Chen Jinzhao flicked his fingers. This was one of the few pieces of good news for him. "Su Canghai's aircraft has flown across the border. Despite our persuasion, he remained stubborn and intended to defect, so we had no choice but to shoot down his aircraft. Our search revealed that Su Canghai died on the spot."
Su Shanshui's spirit seemed to be drained away. He became utterly dejected.
After a while, sobs escaped his mouth. At this moment, he was no longer the King of Jiangnan, but merely an old man who had lost his son.
Chen Jinzhao, however, showed no pity. He looked at the dispirited Su Shanshui and said, "You should know better than I do that struggle is never a dinner party; it involves bloodshed and death. You held the power before, so your opponents were the ones who died, leading you to mistakenly believe that victory was assured, unaware that danger was quietly approaching."
This—
was the consequence.
Before, Su Shanshui had never regretted his actions, believing he was merely protecting the foundation of the Su family.
Only now did he feel a hint of remorse.
If he had been content to be a wealthy family, would his son and grandson still be alive?
Of course.
There were no magic pills for regret in this world.
Just like time, it could only move forward, never backward.
Chen Jinzhao lit a cigarette for himself. Su Shanshui suddenly asked in a hoarse voice, "Can I have a cigarette?"
Chen Jinzhao generously lit a cigarette for Su Shanshui, who responded with a low "Thank you."
The two fell into silence.
At the same time, in the capital of Hua Country.
More than a thousand young men in plain clothes had gathered outside Xu Hanchen's residence. These youths had sharp, piercing gazes, making it clear they were no ordinary individuals.
These were private soldiers kept by the various influential families, taking orders only from them.
And now, they were following Han Sanli's command, prepared to flatten Xu Hanchen's residence. However, Xu Hanchen's four guards were indeed extraordinary, still holding their ground within the courtyard and having eliminated the first wave of private soldiers attempting to breach the compound, killing over a dozen.
The scent of blood permeated every corner of the courtyard, adding a grim and chilling atmosphere to the winter night.
Xu Hanchen sat in the conference hall, motionless as if asleep.
A guard hurried into the conference hall and said to Xu Hanchen, "Old Xu, they are about to launch their second wave of attack. This time, they are extremely well-prepared, and there are likely to be lethal weapons such as hand grenades and bombs. The four of us may not be able to hold out for much longer. Old Xu, please escape through the underground passage quickly!"
Xu Hanchen looked up at the guard before him.
The guard's face was covered in blood, and he had sustained a gunshot wound to the shoulder, with blood flowing from the injury, causing Xu Hanchen immense pain.
"Xiao Hai, you've all worked hard," he sighed.
Xiao Hai pursed his pale lips and said, "Commander, we are not working hard! We only hope that you will not be injured, otherwise, it will be our dereliction of duty."
"Please rest assured, Commander, we will not let you get hurt, even if it costs us our lives."
Xu Hanchen stood up, walked to the guard, and patted his shoulder. "You are all still young. There's no need for you to die for an old man like me. Leave the rest to me. Tell them to open the gate. I will meet them myself."
"Commander!!!"
"Absolutely not! Their target is you. If you show yourself, their plan will succeed," Xiao Hai pleaded, desperately hoping Xu Hanchen wouldn't take the risk.
Xu Hanchen raised his hand, signaling Xiao Hai to stop.
Xiao Hai was stunned. Xu Hanchen continued, "As you said, they will launch their second offensive soon, and you will also perish then. I don't want to see such a thing happen, do you understand?"
The other three guards also rushed in, trying to persuade Xu Hanchen to leave through the underground passage.
Xu Hanchen let out a bitter laugh. "You underestimate the enemy. They have already thoroughly scouted my residence. If nothing unexpected happens, the exit of the underground passage is already guarded."
"We are going to die either way, so why not go out with dignity?"
The four guards' eyes welled up, all of them fighting back tears.
Xu Hanchen had always treated them very well, viewing them as his juniors. Therefore, the four men genuinely admired the old man and believed him to be different from other important figures. Xiao Hai choked out, "Old Xu, if you intend to do this, we will accompany you."
"Good, you are all good children," Xu Hanchen said with relief.
"Then, open the gate!"
Two guards went to open the door. The men in black outside did not enter but stood by the entrance, staring intently at Xu Hanchen.
Xu Hanchen strode out of the threshold with agile steps, two guards flanking him on either side. Xu Hanchen's sudden appearance left the men in black bewildered, so they dared not act immediately.
Xu Hanchen scanned the young faces before him, knowing they were loyal to the various influential families. Thus, he offered no words of persuasion. Instead, he smiled and said, "I am Xu Hanchen. You can open fire now."
"However, before you act, I wish for you to only target me and spare the lives of these four children by my side."
"Consider it fulfilling the last wish of a dying man."