Chapter 317: A Human Tragedy

"Knock, knock!"

"Please come in!"

Taro pushed the door open in a hurry to seek help; even if Wang Dajun hadn't called him, he would have been unable to sit still any longer.

His father had lost contact!

An hour ago at home, he had been calm and composed, comforting himself—how much time had passed since then?

"Brother Jun!" Lu Kuan was covered in sweat; he couldn't wait for the elevator and had run straight up the stairs.

"My father..."

Wang Xiaolei pressed his shoulders to make him sit down first: "Calm down a little. My brother and I have some things to discuss with you."

Lu Taro was already acting somewhat like a madman: "I can't calm down! My dad, he..."

Before he could finish his sentence, he drew in a sharp breath.

On the phone screen Wang Dajun handed over, the scene of Writer Lu and Ge Xi Xiong being shoved into a police car by the officers was clearly visible.

Taro’s nerves felt as if they had been pierced and prodded by a sharp needle; fear arrived in an instant like a surging tide.

"Who arrested them? On what grounds did they arrest my dad! What crime did he commit!"

Watching the beads of sweat the size of peas rolling down Lu Kuan’s forehead like broken pearls, Wang Dajun slammed the table: "Lu Kuan!"

"What kind of contact you and your father had with this Ge Xi Xiong, I don't know and I don't care; you know that best yourself."

"But I do know that if you continue to be this muddled, not only will you implicate your father, but you won't be able to protect yourself either, and our Huayi will also be dragged into this immensely!"

Taro’s face was flushed, his breathing rapid, cornered by Wang Dajun’s two sentences.

"I... what should I do?"

"Hold a press conference. As long as you are prepared, I can have Sina, Blogcn, Netease, and the print media present within two hours, right here at Huayi to clarify the truth."

Taro nodded like a chick pecking at rice: "Yes, yes, yes! It is time to speak out; we cannot let that person keep manipulating things."

"Brother Jun! Please help me find someone to ask! My father, he..."

Wang Dajun’s expression was solemn: "Don't ask! Right now, this matter hasn't reached you yet. Do you know if it was the Public Security Bureau or State Security that took him away?"

"If you go around blindly asking, you're just probing into the case—do you want to be rounded up with them?"

Lu Kuan shivered again, took off his glasses, swallowed helplessly, and wiped the hot sweat from his face fiercely.

Wang Xiaolei caught his brother’s eye and stepped forward to play the supporting role: "Kuan'er, we are all friends who have known each other for a long time."

"Back when you were bullied by Jiang Wen on the set of *Searching for the Gun*, the first call you made was to me, and you cried so hard on the phone—I truly treat you as a brother."

"Yes, yes! I know, President Wang, you have taken great care of me over the years, if it weren't for *Kekexili*... sigh!"

Wang Xiaolei was grand and heroic: "Don't say that!"

"Even if you lost a lot of money, didn't we still invest in this *Nanjing! Nanjing!*? We didn't say a word against it, did we?"

"But now that the matter has happened, we must find a way to solve it."

"Old Master Lu is already in this state; once someone goes into certain places, whether they can come out is another matter. Even if he can come out, in the future..."

"Dad!" Taro suddenly let out a heart-wrenching cry, then turned to the two men who seemed like his only lifeline: "What should I do?"

"Hold a press conference, draw a line between you and your father, push all the responsibility onto him, and take the initiative to confess the situation to the relevant departments."

Wang Dajun dropped the words lightly, almost causing Lu Kuan, who had been suffering from a nervous breakdown these past few days, to faint.

Taro stood up abruptly, suspicious and fearful: "How... how can you say that?"

"Why can't I?"

Wang Xiaolei scolded angrily: "Do you want to go down with him?"

"No matter what mistakes Old Master Lu made, he still has a group of writer friends to protect him, and leaders with rank in the Writers Association can naturally speak to those above."

"What about you?"

"Once you get into trouble, let alone how those above will deal with you, even if you come out unscathed, can you still be a director in the future?"

"Don't forget, you and Lu Kuan were both young directors that everyone in the industry talked about, right? Look at him—shouldn't you consider yourself more?"

Taro wept bitterly: "How did it come to this!"

"It was just writing a script! It was just accepting investment from the Japanese! Why must you be so ruthless! Wuwuwu..."

Wang Dajun walked to his side, his tone gentle, yet it was no less than the final straw that broke the camel's back.

"The situation is complex; speak according to the circumstances."

"The current situation is that it is highly likely that your father has already fallen into the water, and his status is unknown."

"That person is still watching you from behind. You either show your attitude, clear your responsibility, and take the initiative to confess, or just wait for his revenge."

"Think about the endings of those people before."

"Liu’s father got life imprisonment; even if he can get his sentence reduced to 20 years, he’ll be half-dead by the time he gets out."

"His son Liu Zeyu was sentenced to fifteen years; by the time this young master who likes to compete gets out, Lu Kuan’s child will already be in elementary school."

"Zhou Jun’s family is considered decent, right?"

"Let me tell you a situation: Father Zhou didn't even attend his unit’s New Year gathering this year, and after the holiday, he might be transferred to a nominal position at the General Union."

"As for Old Zhou himself... it is said that his mental state is somewhat abnormal, and his mother has taken him abroad for recuperation and treatment."

Taro felt a jolt through his entire body; in an instant, his indignation toward Lu Kuan seemed to be replaced by fear again.

The tragic endings of these two pairs of fathers and sons left not a shred of luck in his heart.

His body shrank and trembled involuntarily, his shoulders drooped weakly, and beads of sweat the size of peas rolled down his forehead like broken pearls; his spirit was nearing the breaking point.

From the script leak, to the exposure of the photos of the meeting with Ge Xi Xiong, to the shocking news of his father’s arrest, all the way to the bitter persuasion, coercion, and inducements from Dajun and Xiaolei.

This progressive fear and blow left him deeply trapped.

The final straw was that person’s fearsome reputation and the two pairs of fathers and sons who had already written the example for him.

Could it be that he and his father would also experience such a fate?

No!

Taro raised his head abruptly, as if squeezing the words out from between his teeth: "Let's hold the press conference..."

Brothers Dajun and Xiaolei looked at each other and sighed in their hearts.

It was fortunate that Taro had a cowardly personality.

He cried when bullied on the set of *Searching for the Gun*, cried when calling Wang Xiaolei to complain, cried at the premiere of the Cannes Film Festival in 2002, and cried when *Kekexili* was accused of plagiarism.

The most recent time was the failure of *749* in 2024; faced with overwhelming negative reviews and attacks, he cried in public yet again.

Clearly, in this press conference, under the guise of this good show of "righteousness over family," the audience would once again have the fortune to witness his tearful, deep-felt performance.

Meanwhile, Writer Lu, who did not yet know that his fate had been decided by his hard-working, well-raised son, was still sitting silently in the interrogation room of the Jiu Xian Qiao Station.

Clearly, Writer Lu, who was involved in a public security case, would not be getting out anytime soon.

"Comrade, you understand my status; do you think someone like me would engage in fighting?"

"Can you let me make a call to my unit first?"

The young officer with acne on his forehead was stern: "Sorry, Writer Lu, this is not in accordance with the regulations."

Old Lu had already roughly determined that the car accident was intentional, but he hadn't figured out the hidden agenda behind it yet.

He wrote scripts and novels on anti-corruption themes and was no stranger to the procedures of the public security, procuratorate, and judiciary.

In public security cases like fighting, the maximum time for the public security organ to question and verify is no more than 8 hours.

Eight hours—it wasn't even time for dinner yet; what kind of story could anyone cook up?

Thinking of Ge Xi Xiong’s identity, he didn't want to make a big scene, so he simply closed his eyes and sat quietly in the interrogation room, patiently listening to the officer’s intermittent questions.

The comrades at the Jiu Xian Qiao Station were very friendly and did not mistreat him in the slightest.

Lunch was also well-provided, and the station chief even went to buy two packs of good cigarettes.

Until three o'clock in the afternoon, two comrades from the branch bureau suddenly entered: "Please take the criminal suspect to the interrogation room."

Lu Tianmin’s face changed drastically: "Why?"

"On what grounds are you doing this?"

When public security organs investigate and handle cases, there are two types of questioning.

Interrogation is for criminal suspects in criminal cases.

Inquiry is for witnesses, victims, or parties in ordinary public security cases.

Being taken from the inquiry room to the interrogation room by the police, from the perspective of procedural justice, he inferred that he was being treated as a criminal suspect in a criminal case.

It was just that the alleged crime shouldn't be serious; otherwise, they would have taken him directly to the detention center for interrogation.

One of the comrades from the branch bureau looked up at him, with a hint of disgust in his eyes.

"One of the parties involved in the conflict with you has suffered ear damage due to a mild concussion, which already constitutes a minor injury of the first degree."

"Writer Lu, you have written so many works and claim to speak for justice; you should understand some principles, right?"

Lu Tianmin paused in his heart, not knowing what his words were implying.

But intentionally causing minor injury to others had indeed escalated from a public security case to a suspected crime of intentional injury.

The time for this interrogation, according to regulations, is a maximum of 12 hours; if the case is particularly complex and major, it can be extended to 24 hours...

Old Lu was truly panicked now; he wasn't afraid of 8 hours, but once some things go overnight and ferment, it’s hard to say what kind of trouble might arise.

Hiss!

He suddenly thought of his dog of a son!

What about Taro? Your father has been missing for almost 8 hours, you dead thing, why haven't you made a move?!

As the two comrades from the municipal bureau led him toward the interrogation room, Writer Lu suddenly grabbed one of their arms and whispered: "Comrade! I am very familiar with Political Commissar Li of your Chaoyang Branch; can you let me make a call..."

The branch officer thought to himself that it would be a miracle if Political Commissar Li dared to answer your call now.

"Sorry, we can only act according to the law and cannot engage in favoritism."

Lu Kuan could not care about his dignity as he shouted, "Favoritism? I was framed!"

"Look at those burly men; could an old man like me intentionally cause minor injuries to others? Is that even possible?"

"I think it is you who are practicing favoritism!"

This statement was half-correct.

The connections at Jiu Xianqiao were found by Dong Zong, but there was no need to go any higher.

At this moment, the time reached three o'clock in the afternoon.

It was exactly the time when the sun was blinding, scorching all monsters and demons to death.

The previously confident Writer Lu, who had felt he could transition smoothly, was struck by a cold wind in the station corridor and seemed to sense the taste of a harsh winter.

He inexplicably recalled scenes of high-level characters in his own writing being arrested, and this ominous premonition quickly filled his entire body.

Suppose today, February 10th, were a movie; now, using the technique of parallel montage, let us look at the three main and supporting characters in Beiping.

The aged and frail Writer Lu slumped in the interrogation room, continuing to endure repetitive and meaningless questions.

Taro was on the stage at the press conference, tears streaming down his face, explaining the process of how he had gone astray and expressing his loyalty to the country, the people, history, and the film industry.

And, with righteous indignation and without hesitation, he performed the act of putting righteousness before family, personally splashing dirty water onto the head of his own old and muddled father.

The old man had weathered so many storms over the years and was very capable of handling things; this time should be fine too, right?

Taro comforted himself thus.

At the same time, Boss Lu, having returned to the country, took the elevator to the Olympic Building, which was only four kilometers away from the Ideal International Building, preparing to accept a talk with the leaders of the Olympic Organizing Committee.

As soon as one entered the building, one could see the high standards of the day; just like the bidding for the second Olympic opening and closing ceremonies, it was guarded by armed police.

On such an occasion, except for high-level leaders who could rely on their faces, even he, the richest man in the mainland, had to honestly take out his credentials for inspection.

"Director Lu, please come in!"

After the routine procedure, the young soldier saluted him with a look of admiration.

The moving and tragic heroic anthem of the People's Liberation Army in "Tangshan," and the fact that he had almost suffered an unjust charge for the massacre film this time, meant he deserved this salute.

"Thank you, comrade!"

Boss Lu walked inside in a great mood; the feeling of returning to the country was just different.

The Olympic Building had just been put into use, and the spacious and bright lobby had a ceiling height of about 7 or 8 meters, making one feel instantly open upon entering.

The Olympic five-ring logo on the front was eye-catching, surrounded by carefully arranged green plants, full of vitality and vigor.

The building had a high degree of informatization, and the electronic display screens in the lobby scrolled with the Olympic preparation progress, various competition information, and venue introductions, though specific details had not yet been displayed.

Pushing the door to enter the lounge, a dozen gazes looked at him simultaneously, very complex.

Zhang Jigang and Chen Weiya, who had not been very convinced by him before, were still not very convinced.

It was just that upon meeting again this time, this person was already the richest man in the mainland and had even pulled off such a stunt in Manhattan, which truly opened people's eyes.

Glancing at the indifferent and playful expressions of Zhang Jigang and Chen Weiya, Boss Lu did not take it to heart; in the end, everything would be proven by strength.

For this bidding proposal, from the opening ceremony to the lighting of the torch, if he copied the homework from the past life's Olympics, he could probably easily obtain the position of chief director, right?

But no matter what the program finalized by the group discussion in this life turned out to be, at least the bidding proposal contained the wisdom and achievements of the Wenjie team itself.

This was something that could not be cheated on, without the half-year of daily grinding and brainstorming with the team, and without personally considering the practical possibilities of various high-tech means.

Even if he were allowed to opportunistically become the chief director, without the ability to convince the masses, he would not be able to carry out the work.

Chen Kaige and Chen Hong, the couple, had complex gazes; they had both seen Lu Chuan's script and the photos of Lu Tianmin meeting with Gexi Xiong, which had almost gone viral online.

Although they were not involved in this matter, but...

It was Director Kaige's handiwork that rejected the Wenjie script!

He was a little worried about being framed with a trumped-up charge.

The one who took the initiative to come forward and greet him was still Zhang Yimou, though the two had just spoken on the phone yesterday, and the things that needed to be discussed had been mostly covered.

"Lu, we meet again."

Zhang Yimou and Spielberg stepped forward; the latter was a member of his Jack Morton team.

Lu Kuan was not surprised by Spielberg's appearance; in the later years, he was indeed a consultant member of the Olympic creative group.

"Steven, welcome to China. Are you and Director Zhang free to have a meal with me in the next two days?"

Spielberg was no stranger to him, and upon hearing this, he joked, "In the 'next two days' of you Chinese, I'm worried I'll have to wait a year."

"That must be because Director Zhang is always standing you up; you should blame him."

"Hahaha!"

After a few jokes, Spielberg became concerned about business: "Your cooperation with Disney really opened my eyes."

"You have great courage, Lu."

Boss Lu was very humble: "I am a small figure in Hollywood; I always have to find a few big thighs to hug first."

"Steven, I hope there will be opportunities for cooperation in the future."

"No problem, I look forward to seeing your collaboration give birth to a great work."

The three chatted and laughed for a while, when suddenly the other people waiting for their talks burst into exclamations in unison, looking at the information on their phones and listening to the news from their earpieces...

They looked toward the young director and mainland's richest man who was laughing and chatting with Zhang Yimou and Spielberg.

Most of the people present were insiders, especially Chen Hong, who was trembling slightly while looking at the information on her phone.

[Huayi holds a press conference, Taro sheds tears on the spot, apologizes for the script content, and bluntly states that his father was bewitched by certain right-wing capital]

Director Kaige's thick eyebrows also heaved.

What the hell, am I crazy or is this world crazy?

I've only heard of brothers fighting within the walls and couples turning against each other; how did the drama of father and son killing each other come to be staged?

This statement could only be considered half-correct; after all, the plans of certain behind-the-scenes black hands had only just reached the halfway point.

The son accusing the father had happened, but what about the father killing the son?

Boss Lu's intentional or unintentional gaze swept over Chen Hong and Director Kaige, both of whom were trembling with a guilty conscience.

Even knowing it might invite retaliation, seeing that the most enthusiastic person in the joint letter besides them had already suffered a decapitation plan, and in such a bizarre and earth-shattering way.

Who could not be afraid?

The fear of waiting for death was far more unforgettable than death itself.

Fortunately, their torment did not last too long.

Soon, Lu Kuan's staff was called to the leader's office for a talk.

"Knock knock!"

"Please come in!"

Leader Liu was wearing glasses, his hands constantly flipping through the Olympic proposal.

For today's talk, if there were no special circumstances, tomorrow morning would be the official appointment ceremony.

Perhaps due to the cautious nature of the Chinese people, before any major appointment, there was almost always a standard process of a talk.

The purpose was for the superior to conduct a final assessment of the ideological dynamics and work style of the selected personnel who were about to accept the organization's arrangements through face-to-face observation.

"Comrade Xiao Lu, please sit."

"Leader, Happy New Year!"

Leader Liu smiled: "This year has been exciting; even on New Year's Eve, I could see a big show of yours, enough to accompany a meal and wine!"

Lu Kuan also laughed: "Leader, you are criticizing me; I will be careful in the future."

"Not a criticism, not a criticism." Leader Liu waved his hand: "Let's just chat casually; there's no need to probe your ideological dynamics."

"But behind closed doors, as fellow townsmen, I still want to nag you a few more words, you don't mind, right?"

He was from Wujin, Su Province, and Lu Kuan was from Jinling; the relationship between the two did not seem to reach the level of an elder advising a junior, so using the identity of fellow townsmen was the most direct and intimate.

The young director said seriously: "Leader, I am all ears."

"Comrade Xiao Lu, many leaders know you and think highly of you; in fact, they are also silently caring about you."

"Your dedication to the Olympic cause, your enthusiasm for the 'Tangshan' film and public welfare, including this time in North America singing praises for the Olympics and national culture, have all been very outstanding."

"You are a talent highly valued by the higher-ups, but the more they value you, the more everyone fears you will take the wrong path."

"For example, this matter with that young Miss Liu, it almost caused a big disaster!"

Leader Liu now had a light and breezy appearance, but those two days he had also been somewhat unable to eat or sleep.

As a top leader of the Olympic Committee, it was he who made the final decision on the reported list.

This leader had just started reviewing, and a candidate for such an extremely important director position had an international scandal spread; how could that be allowed?

Fortunately, the incident reversed, leaving no excessively malicious aftermath.

Leader Liu's smile was magnanimous: "The higher you go, the more cautious you must be in your actions; do not take excessive risks."

"Besides, you are not young anymore; can you consider seriously dating or starting a family?"

"If you don't mind, I have many children of old leaders who are quite a good match for you, eh?"

Boss Lu was stunned.

"Leader, thank you for your concern, but let's slow down on this matter; career comes first."

Leader Liu feigned dissatisfaction: "I heard from Xiao Li that your asset scale has reached the level of the richest man in the mainland, and you still want career first?"

"Do you have to become the richest man in the world before considering family issues?"

Although he said so, Leader Liu, who had been entrusted by others, laughed and brushed off the topic.

There was no need to speak thoroughly when talking to smart people; it was enough for everyone to understand in their hearts.

"Alright, the chat between fellow townsmen ends here; now, on behalf of the organization, I officially notify you of an appointment."

The young director immediately sat up straight, his heart pounding.

The Olympic Games are of great significance to him.

This is a halo of self-protection, an important path for practicing artistic ideals, and one of the conditions that gives him the confidence to publicly claim ownership of the blog network.

With it, after August 8, 2008, as long as no major accidents occur, at the very least he no longer needs to worry about malicious seizure and plunder.

Of course, in normal commercial competition, everyone relies on their own abilities.

"First, I will announce the final results of the second round of bid presentations." "Eight judges scored the five teams, with content broken down into 22 items, among the five main weighted evaluation criteria."

"For the display of cultural elements, the Zhang Yimou team is first, and Wenjie is second."

"For the presentation of the spirit of the times, the Chen Weiya team is first, and the Zhang Yimou team is second."

"Regarding the feasibility of technical implementation, although your drone development progress exceeded expectations, it has ultimately not yet reached the target."

"Therefore, your score in this category is very low."

"In terms of creativity and artistic value, Wenjie and the Zhang Yimou team are tied for first."

"For thematic alignment, Wenjie is first, and the People's Liberation Army team is second."

Lu Kuan nods continuously as he listens.

Judging from the bidding results, Wenjie and the joint team of Zhang Yimou and Jack Morton are almost tied, so the other weighing factors become very important.

Age and experience—he has no advantage in either.

"Upon study by the Olympic Organizing Committee and reporting to higher-level leadership for approval, it is now decided: to appoint Comrade Zhang Yimou as the General Director of the Olympic opening and closing ceremonies..."

Liu Nushi, of course, does not have the bad habit of keeping people in suspense like an awards presenter at a film festival, and continues the announcement:

"To appoint Comrade Lu Kuan as the General Director of the Olympic opening and closing ceremonies."

Boss Lu widens his eyes, watching Liu Nushi put down the document in her hand: "Two people, at the same time...?"

"Yes, a double-yolk egg."

Well, you... you've even learned this trick from the Golden Rooster and Hundred Flowers awards!

Liu Nushi sighs: "To be honest, the process of this appointment was very difficult."

"Your proposal and Zhang Yimou's are like spring flowers and autumn moons; each has its own strengths."

"Zhang Yimou's drawback is that the 'Athens Eight Minutes' was too embarrassing, and many leaders are still worried; your performance in such large-scale events is actually more mature."

"But you are simply too young, and the political ranks of Zhang Jigang, Chen Weiya, and others are very high; I was afraid you wouldn't be able to hold your own alone."

"In the end, it was decided to have you two great artists work as a team, responsible for the general planning and general direction."

"Comrades Chen Weiya and Zhang Jigang will serve as Deputy General Directors to help you fill in the gaps and leverage their respective professional expertise."

Originally, Liu Nushi would not have needed to say so much to Lu Kuan during this conversation.

But firstly, after the contact and cooperation regarding the Zhou Army and the drone incidents, Liu Nushi greatly appreciates this young director's big-picture view and depth of thought.

Secondly, this appointment by the Olympic Organizing Committee truly breaks with convention.

To ensure everyone on the team understands the organization's painstaking efforts and to prevent estrangement or friction before work even begins, a little explanation is necessary.

Although surprised, Lu Kuan has no complaints; he respects Zhang Yimou's ability: "I will obey the organization's decision in everything, and I will definitely do my utmost to serve the motherland's Olympic cause!"

"Good! Very good!" Liu Nushi can tell these words come from the heart.

She makes a rare joke: "Alright then, I won't keep you for dinner tonight, haha."

"You are too kind, my lord." Boss Lu replies with a smile, but has no intention of leaving.

Having arranged for Dong Shuangqiang to plot such a grand drama, he was just waiting for this final act in front of Liu Nushi!

Liu Nushi looks up, seeing his hesitant expression: "What is it?"

"My lord, I have a matter to report; it is quite important, and I don't know if I am taking up too much of your time."

This is the first time Liu Nushi has seen such a solemn expression on him, and she frowns: "Speak first."

"My lord, do you still remember the Olympic bidding proposal leak incident in October?"

"Yes."

"This time when I went abroad, I specifically hired the American professional business consulting firm Accenture to investigate, and the main media that leaked the proposal initially..."

Boss Lu pauses, intending to place the logical emphasis on the following sentence.

"It was America's News Corporation!"

"Including this photo incident, it was also orchestrated behind the scenes by Deng Wendi, the Asian president of News Corporation's subsidiary, MySpace."

"News Corporation's subsidiary Knewz was the first website to publish the proposal, and their Chinese and Asian users on MySpace also spread the proposal extensively."

Nonsense, News Corporation is the leader in the American media industry, and MySpace is the number one SNS website; of course, the news spread quickly on these websites with large market shares.

Why didn't he mention that his own MyTube also participated in the spread at the time?

Liu Nushi's brows are tightly locked; she naturally knows the name of News Corporation, but she has never been in charge of such work and does not know much about it.

"This Deng Wendi... is she of Chinese descent?"

"Yes, this person is a thorough anarchist, much like her husband, Murdoch."

"More importantly, she has close ties to the Japanese far-right organization 'Society for the Dissemination of Historical Fact,' and this hunting of me was their conspiracy."

Seizing the opportunity to complain, Boss Lu naturally tells everything.

"When 'Tangshan' was being promoted in Japan, a Japanese man named Ge Xi Xiong approached me repeatedly, telling me that if I entered the Olympic team, I could buy the leaked proposal for a huge sum."

"After being rejected, he found the mainland director Lu Chuan and his father, and funded them with a huge amount of capital to create a film involving a major historical subject."

Boss Lu gestures to his phone: "This matter has already been exposed, and I just received several calls outside."

A sharp light glints in Liu Nushi's eyes; in an instant, she thinks of the issue where Wenjie's massacre script was rejected and never resubmitted.

At that time, she was already guessing if this young man was making another move.

She didn't expect this shot to land here.

She signals for Lu Kuan to wait, calls her secretary, and speaks briefly.

The script comparisons on the internet, the photo exposures, and Taro's press conference are already in an uproar; the secretary describes everything in a few words.

"What wolfish ambition!" Liu Nushi slams the table in anger.

She already finds it too much to believe even seventy percent of the young director's earnest words.

But just like the tacit understanding she and Lu Kuan reached in the Zhou Army affair, some things depend on the person.

If the person is right, everything is right.

The reason this young man in front of her repeatedly makes her feel admiration, besides his red and expert ideological attitude, is that his moves are always precise and secure; he never forces things, but only acts according to the trend.

Playing a casual move to capture the big dragon, leaving no trace.

The main media that leaked the Olympic proposal in North America cannot be fake; he would not lie.

But were Deng Wendi and the Ge Xi Xiong and the Lu family father and son he mentioned targeting him personally, or the Olympic Games?

That is quite subtle.

If Lu Kuan had said these words in advance, Liu Nushi might not necessarily have intervened; after all, their relationship had not reached that level of intimacy.

But now?

Choosing to say it on this occasion, at this time point just after the personnel appointment was announced?

A mainland's richest man, the future General Director of the Beijing Olympics, an artist with international prestige—he can be said to be one of the most famous Chinese people in Western society today.

He has a high degree of discourse power and united front value.

He revealed to her, as a leader of the Olympic Organizing Committee, the suspicion that foreign hostile forces are attempting to hinder the successful development of the Olympic Games.

Not just suspicion, but that they have already begun to take action, only the conspiracies have been thwarted for the time being.

Could she still remain indifferent?

The words of her secretary, Little Li, are still ringing in her ears; the evil deeds of this father and son and Ge Xi Xiong have all been exposed recently, almost putting the evidence out in the sun to dry.

They are just waiting for a leader's instruction for a thunderous strike from the relevant agencies.

This is almost like setting up the stage, just waiting for her to conduct the performance and receive the credit.

In terms of relationship and human sentiment, she greatly appreciates this young director.

In terms of duty and work, this is an urgent matter she cannot avoid.

The choice she will make is very simple.

The big matter is settled, and Boss Lu retires after his success, no longer disturbing the leader's work.

Watching his departing back, Liu Nushi at the desk sighs deeply, and with a grave expression, takes out her phone to dial the number of a certain Security Bureau chief.

Listening to the beeping sound in her ear, this senior who has seen countless people cannot help but feel deeply moved in her heart.

A person who makes moves at this level—in business, he is a tycoon; in politics, he is a high official.

——

It is already close to five o'clock when he leaves the Olympic Building; Lu Kuan pulls open the car door, and suddenly a gust of fragrance hits him.

In the driver's seat...

Why is it Little Liu?

"Why are you here?"

Liu Yifei giggles: "Siwei and I were discussing business with your company at the Ideal Building, which is only 4 kilometers away, so I came over."

"Then why are you sitting in the driver's seat? Where is A-Fei?"

"I told him to go home first; today I will be your driver and satisfy my craving for driving, as I never have the chance in America."

Boss Lu is shocked: "What? You can drive?"

"Of course, Siwei helped me exchange my American driver's license for a mainland one, so it's legal."

Boss Lu has always cherished his own life: "Get down, get down, I'll drive."

"What are you doing? Looking down on me?" Little Liu pouts, looking dissatisfied.

"The traffic in this area isn't easy to handle; if you scratch or bump something, I haven't even been the richest man for a few days yet!"

Liu Yifei rolled her eyes at him and buckled her seatbelt on her own: "I've saved your dog life twice; if we crash this time, consider it you paying me back once."

Boss Lu: ...

Five minutes later, Boss Lu, having succumbed to the tyranny of little Liu, sat in the passenger seat of this car for the first time.

Fortunately, the 2004 Bentley Arnage R was equipped with a GM 4L80-E four-speed automatic transmission, so it wasn't difficult to drive.

He gripped the grab handle tightly with his right hand, giving the young lady directions with a nervous expression.

"Is it necessary to hold onto the handle? It’s annoying to look at, let go!"

Boss Lu shook his head in silence, a song playing in his mind.

Me and my final stubbornness, gripping my hands tight and never letting go.

The female driver, who hadn't been on the road much, was a flurry of confusion, but fortunately, she didn't make any major mistakes and followed the human navigator's prompts onto the North Fourth Ring Road.

"Where are we going?"

"Jiuxianqiao."

Liu Yifei was surprised: "Huh? Not going back to Gongjian Hutong?"

"Lu Kuan, it's already the beginning of spring, why is it getting dark so fast today?"

Boss Lu turned his head to look at her, speechless.

Like all female drivers, little Liu had her whole body pressed tightly against the steering wheel, as if she were about to breastfeed.

Poor but generous.

He silently took off the sunglasses for the young lady...

"Hehe, didn't notice, didn't notice." Little Liu felt embarrassed herself.

Thirty minutes of thrills without danger passed; the person driving was carefree and unrestrained, while the person riding was terrified.

Boss Lu had her park the car beside a low building diagonally across from the Jiuxianqiao Station; few people passed by, and the dark window tint meant there was no fear of being spied on.

"Why come here? Are you going to turn yourself in?"

Boss Lu glanced at the message Dong Shuangqiang had sent to his phone: "Wait twenty minutes; if we don't see a good show, we'll leave."

He looked up at little Liu and added, feeling uneasy: "I'll drive on the way back."

The young lady was disdainful: "Tch, I thought you had a lot of guts!"

"Hey, what about that Ferrari Enzo?"

"Didn't you say you didn't want it?"

Liu Yifei was adamant: "I don't want it, sure! But can't I drive it for fun? I'll return it to you once I've had my fill."

"I'll have it sent to Chicago for you."

"Mm-hmm!"

Just like countless novice drivers, Liu Yifei seemed quite addicted to driving, not to mention she had always been interested in racing.

"By the way, what are we here to watch?"

Boss Lu smiled: "Do you remember what I told you on the plane?"

"What?"

"Oh! First kill the person, then destroy their heart?"

As if to set the scene for her words, before he could finish, through the front windshield of the Bentley Arnage, a crowd of reporters was seen surrounding a bespectacled man walking toward the entrance of the Jiuxianqiao Station.

Taro walked while crying, waving his hands to scold the reporters: "You! Wuwuwu! Don't take pictures or write nonsense, I'm here to pick up my father! Wuwuwu..."

Having just destroyed his own family for the sake of righteousness, Lunzi learned his father was being held here and attempted to play the emotional card to salvage some of his reputation.

This was what Dong Shuangqiang had told Lu Kuan in the message.

"Director Lu! May I ask what your purpose is in accusing Mr. Lu?"

Taro turned around, looking at the reporter with righteous indignation, his eyes red as he roared: "Since ancient times, loyalty and filial piety cannot both be fulfilled! What purpose could I have! What choice do I have! On one side is the motherland, on the other is... wuwuwu..."

Inside the Jiuxianqiao Station, two comrades from the branch bureau went out to take a call and returned to the interrogation room with relaxed expressions.

After bickering with an old thing all afternoon, they could finally finish this miserable chore.

Bah! You traitorous dog!

Old Lu was somewhat confused; why release him after only 8 hours?

Right! It must be that his good son had come to save him!

It made sense; it had been so long, if he still didn't know how to pull strings to get someone out, then the bastard was truly too stupid.

"You few, I'll remember you." Old Lu adjusted his thick glasses, struggling to support his sore thighs as he stood up.

The old thing provoked them: "What, no need to sign the transcript?"

"Know fear now? A bunch of ignorant fools!"

The young officer with acne was a bit indignant; the reason he didn't need to sign was because he was being transferred to State Security, and signing the transfer documents was enough.

But before the words could leave his mouth, he was pulled back by his old partner beside him.

Discipline issues could not be violated; let him go and accept the arrangement of fate.

Walking out of the small courtyard of the grassroots station with its crumbling walls, looking at the sky where twilight was rising, Old Lu also felt something in his heart.

That kid Lu Kuan, what was the use of going to such lengths to set him up?

Wasn't he released after eight hours anyway?

Releasing you after eight hours was because the twelve hours originally prepared weren't needed; the matter was already settled.

"Dad!"

"Dad! You're finally out! Wuwuwu!!!"

Taro had just finished his righteous performance with the reporters when he saw his old father, who seemed to have aged a few more years, stepping out of the station.

Old Lu looked dissatisfied: "Lun'er, why did you take so long to come?"

Taro gritted his back teeth, deciding to be ruthless and act to the end: "Dad! I've let you down! But for the sake of historical truth, I cannot go against my conscience! Wuwuwu!"

The number one filial son knelt on the cold concrete floor, the cold wind wailing, echoing his tearful pleas in a way that was somewhat shocking.

At this moment, Taro perhaps approached his inner demon, the other young director, slightly in terms of acting.

The old father looked at him in disbelief, suddenly feeling a chill down his spine; what did these words mean?

Looking at the surrounding reporters and commoners with their expressions of disgust, they were no different from the police officers in the station just now.

He said sternly: "Lun'er! Get up! What is going on!"

"Dad! You often taught me, it doesn't matter if you take the wrong path, there is still hope if you know how to turn back..."

How could Taro be willing to get up? He kept kowtowing on the ground to maintain his persona: "This time, you shouldn't have colluded with Gexi Xiong! Dad! Wuwuwu!"

"Those Japanese soldiers had no humanity at all! You shouldn't have written it that way in the script! Wuwuwu..."

The old writer, in his sixties, was struck as if by lightning; his furrowed face was full of terror. In this instant, it seemed he had returned to that era when destroying one's own family for righteousness was considered an honor.

He walked over with a staggering gait, his body barely able to stand steady in the cold wind!

"You! What did you say!"

Lu Chun dared not meet his gaze. In his bowed field of vision, two pairs of standard leather shoes appeared, followed by a rather dignified voice.

"Lu Tianmin, I am an officer from the Municipal State Security Counter-Espionage Intelligence Bureau. We are now summoning you according to the law. This is the official letter; please take a look."

Old Lu's eyes were wide with rage: "Why? On what grounds!"

He looked again at his good son, who was submissive and didn't even dare to look at him; the veteran screenwriter instantly understood something...

"No! Comrades, listen to me!"

"It wasn't me! It was him! It was Lu Chun! I was just cleaning up after him!"

The old literary thief who had killed people with his pen in those years suddenly felt the same palpitations and tension at this moment.

Just like the high-level intellectuals who habitually disowned their relatives during the catastrophe, the mentally broken Old Lu instantly pointed at his unfilial son on the ground!

How could Lu Chun endure this?

He summoned his courage to stand up and continue shifting the blame: "Comrades, please treat my father well; he just made a momentary mistake, please..."

"Screw your mother!"

Old Lu didn't know where he found the strength, but he kicked his son in the waist, knocking Taro, who had been kneeling for a long time with weak knees, to the ground.

Where did he have any good health himself? He stumbled and fell to the ground, and the scene instantly became chaotic!

The State Security comrades were speechless, preventing the swarming reporters from taking photos while pulling the father and son apart.

They had heard plenty of stories about brothers fighting or couples turning against each other, but this was the first time they had witnessed a father and son turning on each other.

A family of animals, simply too hideous to behold.

The comrades on the scene quickly brought the situation under control: "Lu Chun! Don't act rashly; we didn't have time to show it earlier, but this is the arrest warrant for you. Both of you, come with us!"

Taro was instantly devastated, stunned for a few seconds, his emotions collapsing as tears and snot flowed: "Dad? You!"

"Why did you have to drag me down even as you were dying! Wuwuwu! Dad!"

He thought his old father had confessed everything in the station.

A pair of disheveled father and son, a pair of father and son whose glasses were almost crushed, looked at each other in silence, then closed their eyes in despair.

It seemed that by not looking, they could shut out the contempt and malice of the onlookers and the entire world, and continue to maintain the posture and status of great writers and great directors in their imagined world.

The father and son allowed themselves to be dragged into a black commercial vehicle.

Noise, screams, camera shutters, and exclamations intertwined; a human drama that made people sigh was unfolding.

In the Bentley Arnage not far away, little Liu watched with a complex expression as this pair of beastly father and son performed their "revelation."

Compared to their mutual backstabbing, the trust between herself and the washing machine seemed to have a higher gold content.

She turned her head to look at the expressionless young director.

At this moment, the car window was the monitor for the filming site, and the "Uncle Hats," reporters, crowds, and the Lu father and son in the farce before them were all his actors.

In his eyes, this should just be an ordinary drama film that he personally wrote, directed, and pushed forward, right up until the wrap today, right?

The film is titled "Beastly Father and Son Killing Each Other," and its core philosophy is to kill the person first, then destroy their heart.

Liu Yifei thought of the judgment recorded in her diary regarding his "Machiavellian personality" made by Xi Kaiyuan.

At this moment, she seemed to faintly grasp the feeling of a reborn person who has demystified everything and views all things from a superior perspective.

The only thing that made her feel at ease was that at this moment, she was sitting right beside him, watching the world together.

(End of chapter)