"Lu Nanzhi's speech during the councilor election had a very serious impact on the advancement of the Awakening Act..."

"Bright City in West Continent wants to withdraw its funding for Huazhi's investment in the Awakening Act."

"The Lin family in the Northern Fortress also called the office."

Fallen Ying Path.

An old man and a young man.

Cui Zhongcheng pushed the wheelchair and said softly, "The phones at the top floor of Huazhi have been ringing off the hook. The content they want to express is similar, they all want to withdraw from the 'New World' cooperation and are very pessimistic about the competition for the Act."

"Although you don't want to hear this, I must say... the current situation is very unfavorable to us."

Zhao Xilai seemed to be asleep, just sitting in the wheelchair, listening silently.

"Now it seems that the meeting at the Liberty Hall was a pretense... Lu Nanzhi deceived me and you. Until she took the stage, everyone thought that the three alternative councilors from Nanwan had given up the election as a compromise."

Mr. Cui said, "Withdrawal, gathering strength... This is a clean and lethal blow."

It has to be said.

This blow was beautiful.

And... it hurt!

After the councilor election process, the East Continent Council's public opinion electoral college will give the unified vote result... In fact, the result of this election does not need a unified vote, there is only Lu Nanzhi.

And the time left for the supporters of the Act is running out.

Once Lu Nanzhi takes office, the last vote to overturn the Act will be born...

"The unified vote result of the public opinion electoral college will take a week. It will take another week for Lu Nanzhi to officially take over the councilor seat. At most, we have two weeks." Cui Zhongcheng said slowly, "If we can persuade her to change her vote in these two weeks, then the Act can still pass."

"A temporary defection is nothing."

Zhao Xilai held out a hand, signaling Cui Zhongcheng to stop pushing.

The two stood on the path of fallen leaves.

The old man watched a dead leaf slowly fall, "In past struggles... being deceived, being betrayed, are commonplace. I'm already used to it. There's no need to be nervous when this happens, because there must be something to talk about, it's just a matter of how much benefit to give up. As long as enough benefits are given, the other party will willingly submit and obey again."

"But this time... it's different..."

Zhao Xilai caught the dead leaf with his palm and smiled, "Who else can give Lu Nanzhi more than I can?"

Cui Zhongcheng opened his mouth, wanting to say something but stopped.

"I gave her—"

"The entire future of Huazhi—"

Zhao Xilai's voice gradually became smaller, and he said, "Perhaps because my life is coming to an end, I always inadvertently recall the past, and my emotions easily become sentimental... I have always regarded her as my own daughter... and have always looked forward to her taking over this huge industry..."

"A fledgling bird spreads its wings and soars."

"Now, she has grown up and become the 'Madam' of the capital."

Zhao Xilai smiled with satisfaction, "But at the final moment of 'inheritance', this happened..."

"Xiao Cui, tell me, have I not treated her well enough?"

"..."

Cui Zhongcheng was silent for a long time.

He is a person who can't lie.

"Councilor, you treat her as your own... everyone can see that." Mr. Cui said slowly, "But her father is Lu Cheng."

Zhao Xilai was a little dazed.

He slowly clasped his palms together, and the dead leaf was crushed into his palm, making a crisp, dry cracking sound.

"Lu... Cheng..."

Zhao Xilai lowered his head and laughed at himself, "It's been a long, long time since I heard this name... He was clearly my best friend, but now even hearing his name feels strange..."

"So you want to remind me that Huazhi should have belonged to her in the first place..."

There was no anger in the old man's tone, only a faint sense of loss.

"That's right."

Zhao Xilai smiled, "If she has buried her hatred deep in her heart all these years, then every time she sees me, she should be looking at a thief, I stole Lu Cheng's family property, dreams, everything."

"Those bionic capsules, gene laboratories, countless design drafts beneath Huazhi, those grand, magnificent, and shocking ideas, concepts, those inventions and creations that made Huazhi famous throughout the five continents... I stole them all."

"Every time people are shocked by Huazhi, proud of Huazhi, the one enjoying all this praise is not her father, but a thief like me."

The old man murmured.

"Lu Cheng died, died anonymously, buried on a small hillside in the old district. Over the years, I have always pretended not to know where that cemetery is, pretending to forget everything about this old friend."

"Do you know why?"

Cui Zhongcheng looked at the old man who was murmuring to himself in a dreamlike state, and he shook his head.

"Because... for the name Lu Cheng... there is no better ending than dying in obscurity."

The old man raised his head, loosened his palms, and the rustling debris of dead leaves fell.

"A madman who attempted to subvert the world order, to be able to die with dignity, leaving behind a clean reputation, is already a luxury."

Cui Zhongcheng frowned.

"Lu Nanzhi is back in the capital too, obviously... she's here to seek revenge on me." Zhao Xilai said softly, "Actually, I had expected this day to come, but I didn't expect it to be so soon..."

Ten years have passed in a flash.

"The Lion Lane case back then... what exactly happened?" Cui Zhongcheng asked slowly.

He received no answer.

"Does it still matter what happened in Lion Lane back then? The result has long been settled, Lu Cheng died in that alley."

Zhao Xilai said indifferently, "If they think I did the Lion Lane case... then... let them think so..."

Cui Zhongcheng knew.

After Lu Cheng died, Huazhi underwent a major reshuffle.

At that time, he left Dateng Public School, joined the Zhao family, and went through one battle after another... washing away the old guard, re-cultivating confidants, Zhao Xilai spent several years completely destroying and rebuilding Lu Cheng's efforts.

Everything on this land, except for the flag which is old, everything else is new.

"You just said... there are two weeks left?"

"Two weeks is enough." The old man closed his eyes, the faint sense of sadness and aging swept away from his brows, he held his breath and said coldly, "Tell Bright City and the Lin family that Huazhi will definitely win the promotion of the Awakening Act."

"Yes."

Cui Zhongcheng looked at this old and frail lion.

Only two weeks left... is he going to start the final war?

"Take me to meet Nanzhi." Zhao Xilai slowly opened his eyes, the fierce aura just now slowly dissipated as he opened his eyes.

He said softly, "I don't want to start a war... this matter should have a gentler way to solve it. If we meet, then there is still room for discussion."

…

…

(Only one chapter tonight.)