Chapter 170 Secret Contact

The next day at noon, several military vehicles pulled up in the An family military compound.

An Ze Cheng was in the military cafeteria, eating lunch. There weren't many dishes on the table, and they were very simple and light, just two small side dishes.

"Pa, pa, pa!"

Soon, a series of footsteps echoed. An Ze Cheng looked up and saw Zhang Xun Chen walking in, wearing a clean military uniform.

"Old An, eating?" Zhang Xun Chen walked up to An Ze Cheng and greeted him with a smile.

"Old Zhang, you're here. Have a seat!" An Ze Cheng put down his chopsticks and greeted him. "Eat something with me."

Zhang Xun Chen sat down across from him, glanced at the dishes on the table, and couldn't help asking, "You're eating so lightly. Are you trying to stay healthy?"

"I'm getting older, and too much rich food isn't good," An Ze Cheng said with a smile. "What do you want to eat? I'll have the cook make something for you."

Zhang Xun Chen didn't stand on ceremony. "Anything will do. I'm not that hungry, haha."

"Alright, I'll show you something good." An Ze Cheng waved to the guard next to him.

"What is it? So mysterious?"

"You'll find out soon enough."

Soon, the guard brought over a glass jar of wine and gently placed it on the table.

An Ze Cheng took two disposable cups, opened the valve at the bottom of the jar, and poured two cups of wine. A rich aroma immediately filled the air.

Zhang Xun Chen was also a wine lover, and he knew it was good stuff just from the smell. His eyes lit up. "Wow, good wine."

An Ze Cheng handed him a cup and said with a smile, "This wine promotes blood circulation and improves sleep. It's perfect for us. Give it a try."

Zhang Xun Chen took the glass and asked curiously, "Old An, I never thought you brewed your own wine?"

An Ze Cheng waved his hand. "How could I brew wine? This was... a gift from someone else."

Zhang Xun Chen took a sip. The spiciness hit his throat, followed by a mellow aroma that lingered endlessly. He couldn't help but praise it a couple more times.

An Ze Cheng also called the guard and ordered two plates of peanuts and smashed cucumbers as appetizers. The two men drank wine, ate snacks, and the atmosphere became more relaxed.

After a while, Zhang Xun Chen felt it was about time. He put down his glass and said, "Shall we talk?"

An Ze Cheng also put down his chopsticks. "Sure, what about?"

"Hehe." Zhang Xun Chen smiled. "Old An, don't play dumb. You know what we're going to talk about. There's no one else here, so let's be frank. The matter of the First Army has been dealt with, but Jiang Yuan Zhen is very difficult, so much so that Commander Tan can't sleep at night."

Hearing this, An Ze Cheng nodded and picked up his chopsticks again, eating a bite of food.

After thinking for a long time, he said, "Alright, I'll ask Old Li to meet and chat. Let's ease the tense situation in Dragon City first."

Zhang Xun Chen replied, "I think that's a good idea..."

An Ze Cheng waved his hand, interrupting him. "But, let's get one thing straight. If you're going to cooperate with Old Li, you can't take advantage of him again."

Hearing this, Zhang Xun Chen was stunned for a moment, and quickly said, "How could that be? We're complementing each other, how could we be talking about taking advantage?"

An Ze Cheng looked at him and said bluntly, "You're trying to win over Old Li, putting on a show of being close, just to put pressure on the First District. Our garrison has done this kind of thing a lot. To put it bluntly, didn't Old Tan do this when he wanted to be the deputy commander-in-chief? After he became the deputy commander, the cold shoulder came immediately. Now that the situation is complicated, you want to go back to him... Old Zhang, we're not three-year-olds, you can't keep doing this. Old Li will have his own thoughts."

Zhang Xun Chen frowned slightly and was silent for a moment before saying, "This integration, it's not something that can be done overnight, it can only be done slowly. But I think the commander-in-chief's attitude has softened, otherwise he wouldn't have sent me."

At this point, Zhang Xun Chen paused and glanced at An Ze Cheng's expression.

An Ze Cheng smiled. "Alright, I'll give it a try."

"Then I'll have to trouble you." Zhang Xun Chen picked up his glass. "I'll toast you."

An Ze Cheng clinked glasses with him gently. The two drank a little more, and Zhang Xun Chen saw that it was getting late, so he got up to say goodbye and left the cafeteria.

Soon after he left, An Ze Cheng took out his cell phone and made a call.

...

Around six o'clock in the evening, An Qi Qi found Su Tian Yu. The two of them left the Quan Tong Bureau and went to a restaurant in Zha Nan for dinner.

After sitting down in the private room, Su Tian Yu picked up the menu and ordered all of An Qi Qi's favorite dishes.

While waiting for the food, An Qi Qi told Su Tian Yu everything about Zhang Xun Chen's meeting with An Ze Cheng.

After listening, Su Tian Yu said with some displeasure, "This Commander Tan really knows how to put on a political show. Every time there's trouble in Dragon City, he wants to have dinner with us. After he's eaten, he gets the benefits, and then he leaves without a word."

An Qi Qi took a sip of her drink and said softly, "Isn't that just mutual exploitation? But, I think Old Tan's attitude is leaning towards us a bit. At least now he seems to be showing some resistance."

Su Tian Yu thought for a moment and said, "That's true, but my boss might not be willing."

An Qi Qi winked at him. "That's why you can take this opportunity to negotiate with him."

The two looked at each other and smiled conspiratorially.

...

After sending An Qi Qi home, Su Tian Yu went to City Hall and found Li Ming Sheng.

Sure enough, the mayor's office lights were still on late at night. Old Li worked diligently and almost treated the office like home. Everyone was used to it.

After Su Tian Yu told him what happened, Li Ming Sheng burst out, "This Tan Heng Qiang, he only looks for me when he needs something! I've been working for him for years, am I just a whore?"

Su Tian Yu grinned. "Leader, you should set some conditions. We can't let them use us for nothing this time. At least we have to get paid."

When Li Ming Sheng heard this, he knew that this kid was up to no good. He put his hands together and asked, "What are you thinking?"

Su Tian Yu leaned forward and said softly, "Leader, it's like this..."

The two of them whispered and discussed in the office.

...

Nine o'clock at night, military hotel in the garrison.

Lu Zhen sat in his luxurious suite, boredly watching a TV program and smoking a cigarette.

He had been here for two days and had been left hanging for two days. Old Tan didn't seem to want to talk to him at all. Dragging on like this wouldn't do.

Thinking of this, Lu Zhen picked up the remote control and switched to a pay channel to cheer himself up.

"Dong, dong, dong!"

Just then, there was a gentle knock on the door. Lu Zhen turned off the TV, walked to the door, opened it, and saw his subordinate standing outside.

The two looked at each other, walked into the room, and closed the door.

Lu Zhen sat on the sofa and asked softly, "Did you find out anything?"

The subordinate sat across from him and whispered, "Boss, I heard that Tan Heng Qiang didn't deal with Jiang Yuan Zhen. Instead, he secretly contacted Old Li through someone."

Hearing this, Lu Zhen frowned.