Chapter 528: Only I Am the Law Chapter 528: A Choice Without Choice

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Protagonist:

Chen Yi

Titles like "Blue Eagle" and "youngest naval major general" were always flattery.

But you can boast to the sky, you can't boast into space... a small-time navy's lung capacity isn't enough to reach first cosmic velocity.

So Xi Tan did have a bit of an eagle's momentum, a God General Staff Officer's bearing.

In the navy's unrealistic, unimplemented plans, he had also run rampant and debated the scholars; in the Navy Research Institute's worthless journals, he had also published paper after paper, winning a good reputation.

Facing Chen Yi's "strange smile," Xi Tan finally understood: Fu Polin's identity destined him to drag himself in, drag Cao Zhun and Cao Yuan in, drag Liu Chuanzhong and Liu Bian in, drag He Maoran in... but his identity also destined him not to drag in the Cao Family, the Liu Family, the He Family, and the Xi Family...

Only himself, only he himself knew, and could prove to what extent the Cao Family participated, to what extent the Liu Family participated, to what extent the He Family participated, and of course to what extent the Xi Family participated...

So Chen Yi said "you dragged the Cao Family into the water."

Understanding this, Xi Tan shook his head heavily and said: "Don't even think about it, don't think I'm an idiot like Fu Polin."

"Fu Polin had no choice either," Chen Yi said with a light smile, "just like you."

"I'd like to hear how Fu Polin had no choice," Xi Tan said, dragging it out as long as he could, gaining a clue was gaining a clue.

After Chen Yi nonchalantly told the story of Fu Polin kneeling on the ground begging for mercy, he shrugged and said: "It was you who drove him to this step. A man performing meritorious service to atone for crimes already had his crime, and letting the new Jiangning Bank President go would be too much of a pity."

"Idiot!" Xi Tan could almost simulate the corresponding scene in his head.

Fu Polin was unwilling to take the black pot, felt he had no way out, and thus tearfully begged Chen Yi for forgiveness, trying to cleave a new path.

This move had been used by many famous people in history, and the number of successful ones was unknown.

Eunuchs and Japanese were the groups best at using this move. The Ten Attendants of the Three Kingdoms period, Liu Jin of the Ming Dynasty, and others all had cases where, in extremely unfavorable situations, they relied on the cry of grief to play a delaying tactic and finally turned the situation around. The Japanese, whenever they completely lost the initiative, would also shamelessly use crying to leave a thread of life.

But crying was after all a passive move, the key lay in time, geography, and environment, requiring understanding people's hearts and arousing the other party's sympathy...

But Xi Tan couldn't figure out which string of Chen Yi's would sympathize with Fu Polin!

This guy wanted to bury the direct executor of the Gold Bond alive.

Of course, now he wanted to bury himself.

Xi Tan secretly hated in his heart and said: "Fu Polin, to gain your trust, so he told you about the Four Families Meeting, the Vault Theft Case, and such?"

"The Vault Theft Case was his guess."

"But you forced him to surrender to the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection?" Xi Tan admired in his heart, but evaluated with his mouth: "Truly ruthless."

Chen Yi smiled faintly, his thoughts unreadable.

Xi Tan faced the sunlight, unable to open his eyes wide, so he continued to stare at the halo around Chen Yi, spreading his thoughts as much as he could, and said: "Fu Polin hoped to receive forgiveness, and told you what you wanted to know. But you not only didn't forgive him, you also threatened him, that if he didn't nail me and Cao Zhun to the Evidence Wall, he wouldn't even have the chance to perform meritorious service to atone for crimes, right? Actually, what you gave him was also meritorious service to atone for crimes, what we gave him was also meritorious service to atone for crimes, but he happened to find you behind him..."

"This is politics. I'm still learning, I can't compare to the seniors."

Xi Tan laughed heartily, the more he laughed the more bitter: "Things in the world, no matter what you want to get, you first have to think about what to pay. What is politics? Sometimes you take things out to exchange, not necessarily able to get better things, the other party can also choose to hurt you, take things away, and threaten you, if you don't take out better things, they'll make you suffer even more..."

"The Cao Family." Chen Yi's lips lifted only a tiny gap, interrupting Xi Tan's self-pity.

This was a standard performance when the spirit couldn't bear pressure.

Xi Tan's calves trembled secretly, and he still said stubbornly: "Otherwise? Otherwise how would you hurt me?"

Chen Yi tilted his head back, the meaning very clear.

Xi Tan was undoubtedly a smart person; for him, there was no need for nagging, just lay out the evidence and he could naturally analyze various possibilities.

If it were an idiot like Cao Yuan, he might still harbor false hope and pray for family rescue. But "Blue Eagle" knew that once Fu Polin nailed him, the family had no way to rescue him at all.

Xi Tan asked his conscience: if it were him, discovering a family elder encountering such a deadlock, what decision would he make?

The answer was chilling.

"Can you guarantee you'll only go after the Cao Family?"

Chen Yi shook his head.

"The Cao Family isn't enough?"

Chen Yi smiled and said: "Isn't that a bit of a waste?"

The implication was that a mere Cao Family wasn't enough for him to make a move. Counting it up, Chen Yi was already unquestionably the second person in the Chen Family after Chen Zhongguo, not a future successor like Cao Zhun, he was almost already succeeding.

The Chen Family was originally one or two levels higher than the Cao Family, and now going all out, moving the Cao Family obviously wasn't worth such a big show of force.

"At most, I'll throw in the He Family for you," Xi Tan guessed; the He Family vying for Jiangning resources was probably Chen Yi's bottom line.

The latter pondered for a moment, and indeed replied: "Guarantee He Fuhan is inside, and it's a deal."

"How do I know you'll keep your word?"

"You have no choice." A soft, charming female voice drifted in, it was Liu Xinyu who had just returned from the West Continent, she winked at Chen Yi and said: "I've been waiting inside and got bored, came out to take a look."

Hearing her words, and seeing Chen Yi show no reaction, the Naval Major General stared at Liu Xinyu in humiliation.

Suddenly, he said with a serious air: "I feel like I've seen you before."

When she was in the Human Development Research Society, Liu Xinyu had appeared in public occasions not a few times. Such a secret organization was of course not considered a good reputation.

Liu Xinyu smiled calmly without surprise: "If you've seen me, then you must have a deep impression."

She indeed had the qualification to say so.

There were thousands and thousands of beauties in the world, but those who could be called unforgettable at first sight were few and far between.

Xi Tan furrowed his eyebrows, still wanting to take this good opportunity to get something out of Chen Yi, but the latter actually smiled, put his arm around Liu Xinyu, and turned back to the colonial villa like a small brick wall.

"You have to guarantee my safety," Xi Tan shouted loudly.

In the Jiangning Villa of the Jiangning Chen Family, there was truly not a bit of security.

Chen Yi's voice came from afar: "Write down everything about the Four Families Meeting, you Xi Family can play with it yourselves."

"That won't do, just as just said, He and Cao."

Chen Yi waved his hand, and his back disappeared.

Xi Tan sat dejectedly under the small tree in front of the villa. He certainly wouldn't act immediately according to the demand; he wanted to wait, to observe, and to keep dragging it out.

Chen Yi was naturally even less anxious.

To overthrow a faction, a deeply rooted great family, thunderous methods could be used, or slow simmering over a low fire could be used; only half-cooked rice could not be made.

The Cao Family was in Xijing, He Fuhan was in a foreign place, neither was within the radiation range of the Jiangning Chen Family, so thunderous methods naturally had no effect.

The only remaining path was slow simmering over a low fire.

Just like the best chef in the kitchen simmering soup, the processing method of slow simmering over a low fire most tests political means and foundation.

Not only must Xi Tan be given time to think, but the enemy must also be given time and strength to resist.

Of course, time cannot be too abundant, nor can they be allowed to gather their strength together. It must be like a ko fight in Go, one link buckling onto the next—threaten the other side, endure resistance, dispel resistance and continue to threaten the other side, then endure resistance again.

A good politician can use a candle-like small fire to stew the meat in the sand pot until it is falling apart without spilling a drop of soup.

Xi Tan was now in the pot.

Chen Yi was confident he could stew the Cao Family and He Family, so why fear a "Blue Eagle"?

"Do you think he dares to drag the Cao Family in?" Liu Xinyu lay on Chen Yi's back with lustful eyes, but used serious questions on her lips to interfere with him.

Chen Yi felt his neck itch, slowly turning as he said: "He is unwilling to give up his current status and future status."

"Charge through and it's smooth sailing, you are the last great mountain?" Liu Xinyu recited like a sutra as she reached her hand down, soothingly smiling: "Perhaps he thinks you can't handle the Cao Family, so he lets you do as you please."

"Does he really let me do as I please?" Chen Yi silently placed the Phantom Wand beside the pillow.

This thing should now be called the Wasteland Staff.

Its proper function had almost no chance to be used anymore, such as helping a Mage in meditation solve movement problems, helping a busy Alchemist retrieve materials, helping a Mage on an adventure explore the road ahead... Since Liu Xinyu had tasted it, she almost always clung to using it. For Chen Yi, double or triple pleasure was naturally very tempting...

Seeing a bright red crystal stone embedded into the staff, Liu Xinyu made a sound, her delicate body completely softening, only the twin peaks on her chest standing straight, resisting Chen Yi...

"You shouldn't tell him all the information; show weakness to the enemy, then he will easily testify." Liu Xinyu said serious matters with vacant eyes, as if she could share a bit of her own attention.

Chen Yi buried himself in the soft world, laughing unclearly: "Showing weakness to the enemy won't work; only when it is certain that the Cao Family and He Family are finished will he be willing to testify."

If the Cao Family and He Family were finished, Xi Tan's betrayal would at most be a moral flaw.

On the contrary, if the two families were not completely driven out of the political circle, they might rise again like the Chen Family three years ago... Xi Tan's betrayal would become a huge breach.

So, Xi Tan must either endure Fu Polin's mad-dog-like tearing and biting, give up a great future, and protect two families that would not be grateful—the Cao and He Families might feel it was only natural, while the Xi Family would lose a future star—or betray the Four Families Meeting, betting that Chen Yi could destroy the Cao and He Families.

In this, there were no moral factors, purely a game of power.

Ironically, the best and worst results for Xi Tan were both betting on Chen Yi winning—if he truly won, he would be safe; if he didn't win, he would suffer the counterattack of the two families.

Instead, betting on Chen Yi losing required no brains; just wash up and wait to go to prison.

What choice would an Aristocratic Scion like Xi Tan, born accompanying power all his life, make? It went without saying.

After turning his brain three circles, Liu Xinyu finally understood the inner meaning of Chen Yi's words.

Looking at Chen Yi's eyes again, they became even more hazy.

... (Unfinished. If you like this work, welcome to come to Qidian (qidian. com) to cast Recommendation Tickets and Monthly Tickets; your support is my greatest motivation.)