Chapter 1 A Conspiracy Brews

Inside the banquet hall, Wen Zhanbo waved to his chief of staff and regimental commander, then hung up the phone and quickly entered an empty lounge.

After a short while, his subordinate officers pushed the door open and walked in, all with happy expressions on their faces.

Wen Zhanbo looked at them with a serious expression and said, "Something is going to happen tonight. The transfer is just a smokescreen. The higher-ups are going to move against me."

As soon as he finished speaking, the room fell silent.

Three seconds later, the chief of staff spoke first, "Did your friend from the garrison headquarters call you?"

"Yes!" Wen Zhanbo nodded. "He Yu Zheng has always been at odds with me, but the headquarters secretly transferred one of his regiments into the city just now. The two regiments from the 312th Brigade that went out should be heading for our troops, to prevent us from rioting."

"……!" The chief of staff stood there stunned when he heard this. He knew very well what Wen Zhanbo meant.

"Damn it! We've got the garrison headquarters all figured out. Why are they suddenly coming after us?" A regimental commander frowned and cursed, "They've also had a share of the military supply business, so why are they doing this?!"

The chief of staff turned his head and glanced at him, "That may just be a facade, to paralyze us, deliberately taking the money."

"They've been taking money for almost a year, could it be that they...!"

"Very likely." The chief of staff immediately replied, "I felt something was wrong when Zhao Wei Hu had an accident some time ago, but I thought the situation outside the district might not affect Dragon City, after all, they still need to maintain stability here. But... but I didn't expect them to still make a move."

Wen Zhanbo's face was gloomy, "It's a long game that Kang Ding Huang has been playing, and he's the one who set this up."

The chief of staff looked shocked, "Does he have so much power that he can arrange things with the garrison headquarters?!"

"It's the higher-ups who gave him so much power, not how much power he has himself." Wen Zhanbo waved his hand. "There's no point in talking about this now... I'm afraid my time is running out..."

As soon as these words came out, everyone in the room fell silent again.

After a long while, the chief of staff took the lead and said, "Let's just fight to the death!"

Wen Zhanbo turned his head to look at him, "Tell me your plan."

"Immediately contact the troops, gather them in place, and enter a state of first-level combat readiness." The chief of staff said with a fierce look in his eyes, "Our logistics troops haven't set off yet, let them change into weapons, turn around and enter Dragon City directly, and kill Kang Ding Huang!"

Wen Zhanbo clenched his fist unconsciously when he heard this.

"Kang Ding Huang must have something on us, but we can bite back if we kill him. We can say that he is using his position to engage in factional struggles, that he has extended his hand into the army, deliberately framing our core officers, and secretly carrying out assassinations. We sent troops into the city to maintain stability in order to get an explanation." The chief of staff said with a very clear train of thought, "In the ensuing conflict, someone accidentally killed Kang Ding Huang."

"How do we clean up the mess?" Wen Zhanbo asked again.

"Take a firm stand behind Lao Li's faction, and unite with your in-law Lao An, to jointly resist the higher-ups' punishment decision. To put it bluntly, we have to create a posture of rebellion." The chief of staff said in a low voice, "If they don't compromise, and our ability is not enough to protect ourselves, then contact the Lao Mo government army and surrender to them. At worst, the brothers will follow you and Zhao Wei Hu. Can kings and generals be born with a silver spoon in their mouths!"

Wen Zhanbo's brain was running rapidly as he listened to the chief of staff's suggestions.

...

Inside a car downstairs at the Hongri Hotel.

The assistant in the passenger seat turned his head and asked Kang Ding Huang, "Aren't you going up yet?"

"No, let's wait a little longer." Kang Ding Huang lowered his head and played a mobile game.

"Do you think... Old Wen has figured it out by now?" The assistant asked again.

"Of course, he has informants at the garrison headquarters." Kang Ding Huang said lightly, "But I asked them to transfer He Yu Zheng's troops in to send him a message."

The assistant frowned, "Then why are you doing this...?"

"Hehe," Kang Ding Huang raised his head and showed a very sunny smile, "Because I want him to open fire!"

...

Upstairs in the hotel.

Wen Zhanbo quickly went over the plan proposed by the chief of staff in his mind, carefully considering it for a long time, and immediately took out his mobile phone and dialed Li Mingsheng's number.

"Hello?"

"Lao Li, Kang Ding Huang is going to move against me tonight, without any warning. I've been forced into a dead end." Wen Zhanbo said very succinctly, "I have two options now: first, stay put; second, mobilize the logistics regiment, go into the city and kill Kang Ding Huang, and then bite back and say he's engaged in factional struggles and assassinations."

Lao Li was silent for more than ten seconds before digesting the meaning of Wen Zhanbo's words, "How do we clean up the mess?"

"Me, you, and Lao An who hasn't arrived yet, will resist the higher-ups together." Wen Zhanbo said in a hoarse voice, "If it doesn't work, I'll take the troops and defect to the Lao Mo government army."

"You and I must be on the same side. They're moving against you to get to me, that's not hard to guess." Lao Li replied without hesitation, and then asked, "But if it doesn't work, you're going to defect to Lao Mo, have you considered the consequences?"

Wen Zhanbo was silent.

"First of all, the military supply business is gone; secondly, the higher-ups are secretly supporting the Mo Nan rebels, and they'll be the first to attack you." Lao Li lowered his voice and said, "Because you're a regional rebel, at that time... my connections above won't be able to help you even if they want to."

Wen Zhanbo clenched his fist instantly when he heard this.

The two were silent for a while, and Wen Zhanbo said as he walked outside, "Lao Li, don't put all your eggs in one basket. If the few flag-bearers fall, all our disciples and grandchildren will be slaughtered."

"I understand!"

"That's it." Wen Zhanbo hung up the phone, walked into the lobby, and felt a sense of sadness when he saw his daughter and son-in-law warmly greeting the guests.

"Mingyuan!" Wen Zhanbo called out.

"What's the matter, Uncle?" Yu Mingyuan rushed over.

"Let's go!"

Wen Zhanbo pulled Yu Mingyuan and walked towards the door.

"What's wrong?!" Yu Mingyuan felt that something was wrong with the other party.

"Listen to me, I may... I may have a problem." Wen Zhanbo walked out with his hands behind his back, and said in a hoarse voice, "I'm entrusting my daughter to you, you have to take good care of her...!"

"Ah?!" Yu Mingyuan was stunned.

...

Inside a business car heading from the airport to the hotel.

"Brother-in-law, brother-in-law?!" Wa Wa deliberately used this annoying tone to tease Su Tianyu in front of various elders, "Brother-in-law, you look handsome again today."

Su Tianyu was driving and glanced at Yu Zhen in the rearview mirror, his expression rather awkward.

"Don't talk nonsense!" An Qiqi glared at Wa Wa.

"Beep beep!"

Just then, Yu Zhen, who had been looking at her phone, suddenly raised her head and shouted, "Xiao Yu, pull the car over to the side of the road first!"