Chen Jinzhao frowned.
His uncle's sudden mention of these things, did he know something?
He pretended not to understand, "Uncle, what do you mean..."
Li Qiutao's words became more direct, "I don't mean anything else, I just genuinely feel you are too selfless. I hope you can be a little selfish in some matters. You not only have to be responsible for others, but also for yourself."
In the end, Li Qiutao was thinking for Chen Jinzhao.
After a moment of thought, Chen Jinzhao said, "Uncle, I understand. I will pay more attention to myself."
Li Qiutao said meaningfully, "In this world, in this society, the person you should trust the most is yourself. Towards others, you should harbor some doubt, more or less."
Chen Jinzhao won again.
These were all valuable life experiences of Li Qiutao. If he could learn them all, he would benefit immensely.
Of course.
He also had his own principles.
Some people were worth Chen Jinzhao's absolute trust.
He hung up the phone.
Chen Jinzhao sat in the living room for a while before leaving the villa. When he left, he locked the door, to prevent anyone from seeing the four corpses inside.
On the other end.
Li Qiutao immediately began making arrangements to help Chen Jinzhao erase the traces. After doing so, he sat in his chair for a while, thinking he could still do more for Chen Jinzhao. So he found Qian Deshui's number and called him.
Li Qiutao had a very high regard for Qian Deshui.
When Qian Deshui received Li Qiutao's call, he was flattered and said respectfully, "Mr. Li, it is my honor that you personally called me."
"I heard about what you did in Jiangnan. You did very well regarding the Su family matter." Li Qiutao praised Qian Deshui's actions. Qian Deshui quickly replied, "Mr. Li, there's no need for that. It was just a small effort on my part, as I should."
"Mm..."
Li Qiutao nodded.
Qian Deshui was capable and not boastful, a subordinate worth trusting.
"Mr. Li calling me so late at night, it's probably not just to praise me, is it?" Qian Deshui said with a smile.
Li Qiutao did not deny it, nodding, "You are indeed very smart. I called you to tell you one thing."
Qian Deshui immediately tensed up and listened respectfully to Li Qiutao's command.
"I recognize your ability and hope you can provide greater assistance to Chen Jinzhao. You know, Chen Jinzhao is the junior I dote on the most. He wants to achieve something great. But if you know him, you should know that my nephew lacks a bit of a warlord's temperament," Li Qiutao said in a deep voice.
Qian Deshui pondered for a moment and said, "You mean, Mr. Chen is too kind, lacking in ruthlessness, is that right?"
"Precisely," Li Qiutao admired Qian Deshui more and more.
"I want you to be Chen Jinzhao's go-between. There are some things Chen Jinzhao is unwilling to do or cannot do. I hope you can act on his behalf. It doesn't matter how, as long as the objective is achieved."
"Qian Deshui, can you promise me?"
Li Qiutao thought Qian Deshui might hesitate, but to his surprise, Qian Deshui did not show the slightest hesitation, "Mr. Li, I promise you!"
"Don't agree too quickly. Once you become Chen Jinzhao's go-between, you will be seen as a devil by some people. In the future, after death, you might be utterly destroyed, and even Chen Jinzhao might despise you," Li Qiutao informed Qian Deshui of the potential consequences. Qian Deshui laughed heartily, "I'm not afraid. If I'm not utterly destroyed, then it will be Mr. Chen who suffers that fate."
"Mr. Chen is a noble idealist. My role is to bear the stains and infamy for him. Am I right, Mr. Li?"
Li Qiutao smiled, "It's truly comfortable to deal with intelligent people."
"You can refuse."
Qian Deshui continued to smile, "My beloved was killed by enemies. It was Mr. Chen who helped me avenge her. You could say he gave me a second life. My life has long belonged to Mr. Chen. It is my honor to share his burdens."
"This path is winding and treacherous, and there will always be sacrifices."
"Why can't that person be me?"
Li Qiutao was increasingly surprised.
Qian Deshui was indeed the warlord of Jiangnan back then. Perhaps Chen Jinzhao's actions had influenced him, planting a seed of idealism in his heart.
"Then tell me, how should the next pieces be played?" Li Qiutao wanted to test Qian Deshui.
Qian Deshui said without hesitation, "Starting with the Su family as a base, gradually weave a network of relationships loyal to Mr. Chen. We might even consider planting our own people within Qin Fengwu's faction. We should also select talented individuals from small towns and even villages to nurture as confidantes. We can invest in these talented individuals from humble backgrounds through this network. The entire process might take ten, or even twenty years, but it will definitely bring great assistance to Mr. Chen!"
"Continue," Li Qiutao fell into thought.
"Once I establish a foothold in the Su family, I will slowly move to conquer Donghai, starting with the Han family. However, the existing forces in Donghai are deeply entrenched, and it may not be easy for us to act. So, my plan is to leverage Mr. Li's influence to rally influential businessmen. Mr. Li should know that Donghai is the most commercially developed region in the country. Compared to the existing noble families, they are a new force. If possible, we could even arrange for these businessmen and tycoons to intermarry with the talented individuals from humble backgrounds."
"If the plan succeeds, the Yangtze River Delta region will be within our grasp."
"Jiangnan is precisely the wealthiest region. Taking Jiangnan is equivalent to taking half the country. The future is promising!"
Li Qiutao chuckled, "To be honest, have you always been planning these things? Otherwise, you wouldn't be able to explain them so detailedly in such a short time."
Qian Deshui chuckled sheepishly, "I have indeed been planning these things."
After they both laughed, Li Qiutao said meaningfully, "However, you should know that Chen Jinzhao detests the methods you described the most. If he were to find out, you might be punished by him, or even purged."
"Even so, you have no regrets?"
Qian Deshui's gaze suddenly became extremely firm, "If Mr. Chen wants to achieve great things, then this is something that must exist. It's like a sharp long sword; he may not use it, but he absolutely must have it. What I can do for Mr. Chen is to forge an unparalleled sharp long sword!"
Li Qiutao burst into laughter.
"What a swordsmith!"
"Chen Jinzhao's discerning eye is indeed excellent. With your help, he will undoubtedly achieve twice the result with half the effort."
"In the future, if you have any needs, you can contact me directly. I await the day you forge an unparalleled sharp long sword for Chen Jinzhao, and I look forward to the day when one sword strike chills nineteen provinces."