The stone is the road, the ancient meaning seeps out from the slightly wet stone cracks, and it is moistened in the old-fashioned all around, with the warm wind under the feet, and it is born in this cold winter, turning the Liufeng Slope Club into a garden in spring and autumn. (Following the deliberately carved and absolutely natural bluestone pavement, after walking under the corridor for a long time, Xu Le pushed open the door in front of him alone, and saw the lady sitting on the gold-painted half-couch and pushing tea with a wooden ruler.)

Only once met, Xu Le has never forgotten the impression of the woman with the most power in the Federation, this middle-aged woman's calm and ordinary appearance is like a wall, covering all the good rivers and mountains in her heart, and as long as she is willing, the beauty of the country will spit out and crush everything in front of her.

"It's coming. Madame looked at Xu Le with a smile, and noticed that the young man's military uniform still had no epaulettes, and the palm exposed outside the sleeve was neither nervously held nor opened presumptuously, but cautiously as if holding two raw eggs.

Xu Le nodded, walked over to his wife and stood still.

Madame's mental state is very good today, there is a layer of luster on her calm and gentle face, the troubles in the Federation are now solved, and the grand plan she has designed is about to unfold page by page, and in this mental state, the small-eyed boy in front of her has become much more pleasing to her eyes.

"I heard Minister Zou say that you are now an official captain officer at the General Assembly Base of the Ministry of National Defense. ”

This is not an interrogative sentence. Madame gently knocked on the wooden ruler, and two ladies with beautiful faces and long skirts mopping the floor turned out of the screen behind her, and took away the tea tablet utensils beside her, she turned to Xu Le, motioned for him to sit down, and continued to say gently: "In this case, you don't want to go back to Baishui Company." ”

Hearing this, Xu Le's brows trembled slightly. Madame quietly paid attention to his every expression, but thought that he was worried about other problems, and explained with a smile: "I know you like Jian Shui'er, but with your merits and identity this time, how can you still be a bodyguard for others?"

Madame's well-maintained hands slowly overlapped on her legs, calmly looking at the silent Xu Le, the brocade silk at the cuffs was slightly bright. Madame is the only person in this universe who knows Xu Le's true origin, so when she said the three words Jian Shui'er, her tone actually carried a hint of mockery, but Xu Le himself didn't feel it.

Because I know Xu Le, so Mrs. thinks that she can completely control Xu Le, because she can control it, she will have the leisure to taste, these months of evaluation, in the presidential election, Xu Le has made great efforts, showing his ability and strength, whether it is the development of a new type of mecha, or the information that finally ousted Medellin from power, all of which made Mrs. appreciate this young man.

"About the Federal Academy of Sciences. You've gone a little too far. So I pressed you for some days. Madame looked at him quietly. He pushed a bag of papers next to him. Continued: "Go to the engineering department or the research institute. It's up to you to think about it. The Ministry of Defense is about to get promoted. ”

Xu Le hesitated for a moment. Remove the document bag and open it. I took a closer look at it. Inside the bag were several letters of commendation signed electronically by the relevant federal authorities, as well as a copy of the minutes of the meeting. He whispered a little distractedly, "Lieutenant Colonel?"

He was originally a second lieutenant civilian officer. Because of assisting the Fruit Shell Engineering Department in the development of MX mechas. Therefore, he was granted the authority of the final assembly base and the rank of captain by the Ministry of Defense. However, he never thought of it. Today's feast. He could have been promoted to lieutenant colonel so easily.

Will be twenty years old to lieutenant colonel. How many people could there be in the history of the Federation? Even in the years when the beacon was even three stars. With proud military merits, he has leapfrogged and promoted. It's hard to be so fast. In an instant. Xu Le was silent. This is probably the sub-seal reward. Federally distributed benefits. Madame gave herself a very good reward. It also shows that this lady is really ready to cultivate herself.

"You have the strength. Li Jiadi's little madman is a lieutenant colonel. Since you have defeated him. Of course it can't be lower than him. Madame said calmly.

"Lieutenant Colonel Li Feng was promoted by virtue of his military merits on the Xilin front. Xu Le shook his head and said.

"You remember the exploits of the Federation, President Sieg and the military very well, you don't have to be humble. Mrs. said: "Guoke should promote you to a first-level technical supervisor, so do a good job in the future." ”

Madame's tone was very normal and natural, whether it was the rare rank of twenty-year-old lieutenant colonel in the federal military, or the prominent position of the first-level technical director of the Fruit Shell Company, in her words, it was as simple as whether an onion should be purple or red. For the most mysterious and terrifying of the seven families of the Federation, even the change of president of the Federation is something that can be influenced, not to mention the two positions that must be passed through in a young man's glorious life.

Xu Le was silent for a long time, and after a long, long time, he raised his head, looked at his wife's face very seriously, and asked, "Do you want to arrange my life?"

"Just advice, like I would recommend to a lot of people. Madame looked at him very seriously and said, "Our generation will eventually grow old, you are different, the source is not the same, he will need a partner like you in the Federation in the future." ”

Madame can say such words to a little person like Xu Le, showing enough sincerity, probably because of some of the characteristics that Xu Le has shown in the story of more than a year, which makes this lady believe that her son should be very lucky to have such a partner or subordinate.

However, a long time ago, Xu Le was very direct

The source of the source invited himself into the house, based on some simple reasons, he once again refused, shook his head and said, "I'm sorry, I'm not used to people arranging their lives. ”

Madame's eyes narrowed, and she said, "As far as I know, although you are stubborn, you have never been a pedantic person. ”

"In the past, I refused to ensure that my friendship with Zhiyuan would not go bad, but now it is naturally clear that my friendship with him will be difficult to maintain for a lifetime. Xu Le organized his words and explained quietly: "I refuse now because it is difficult for me to accept the style of acting of you and the people of this level you represent. ”

Madame didn't say anything, just looked at Xu Le quietly, wondering what this seemingly fearless young man wanted to say.

Xu Le didn't speak immediately, because he knew that once he spoke, he might anger the lady in front of him. He was silent for a long time before taking a deep breath and said bravely: "I always thought that a person like Medellín should be tried by federal law, but now that Madame has a different attitude from me, then our previous relationship has only come to an end." ”

In the morning tea in Mochou Houshan, Xu Le once said to Shen Li that the relationship between him and his family can only be mutual cooperation. Madame listened to him repeat at this time, and couldn't help but smile, with a hint of coldness, and said slowly: "Child, there are many people in the Federation who are qualified to cooperate with me, but definitely not you. ”

"I understand. Xu Le lowered his eyes slightly, stared at his shiny military boots, and said word by word: "So please take back this document bag." ”

Madame looked at him quietly, and suddenly felt as if she had seen the man many years ago, but that man was too different from the small-eyed boy in front of him, although he was just as good at hiding his abilities under the opposite appearance, but the appearance he chose was too different, the man was so amazing and beautiful, but the small-eyed boy in front of him was blindly calm and even silent, making people unable to understand what he was thinking and what he wanted to do.

Thinking of that man, Mrs. Ling's mood was slightly depressed. Xu Le was still like a stinky stone, not noticing the subtle changes in the big man's mood, and said straightly: "Zhiyuan promised me not to let Medellín be elected vice president. ”

Madame said indifferently: "Do you think Medellín still has a chance in this life?"

"But that's not enough. ”

Madame suddenly felt a little annoyed, she squinted at the young man in front of her, there were traces of instability in the city government for decades, she couldn't figure out how that cold-blooded and ruthless guy could have such a stubborn and righteous student, do you really think you are a righteous envoy?

"The biggest threat to the Federation right now is the Empire. Madame said indifferently: "In this situation, the Federation needs to be united, and there can be no more chaos, so Medellín can no longer stay in the Ministry of Justice." What is personal hatred in the general interest of the Union, and what is your ridiculous justice?"

Xu Le thought to himself, when did justice become a ridiculous thing?

"If you want to do justice, you will not hesitate to destabilize the Union. Madame stood up slowly, there was a faint light flickering between the long black skirts, she looked at Xu Le indifferently and said: "Tens of millions of people died because of it, and you don't hesitate to do it? I don't even want to investigate the assassination of my son, what kind of role do you want to play, you poor deceived little guy?"

Madame looked him in the eye and said indifferently: "Schiller's play once described a madman who fought against a gargoyle, and that madman did not hesitate to have the whole village buried in order to avenge his daughter. When the troubadour confronted him, he was ashamed to say that even if thousands of people died because of it, as long as justice endures, he will persevere...... But how selfish is that?"

The threat of the Empire is like a black cloud hanging over the starry sky of the Federation, and this society needs peace and unity, so shameless people like Medellín will find a twisted way forward. If Medellín is held accountable and the Union is destabilized, thousands or even hundreds of thousands, or even millions, will die...... Is this selfish? What a great, glorious, and correct compromise this is, but when Xu Le listens to it, how can he still feel that this compromise still smells of extreme corruption?

At the end of Qingshi Road, in the quietest room of the Liufengpo Club, Xu Le was silent for a long, long time before he slowly stood up, tilted his head and squinted, smiled, and grinned, revealing two rows of neat white teeth, and said to his wife: "Madam, people always have to die, and hundreds of billions of people in the Federation always have to die, only to die first and then die, but after all, this universe can only stay with reason." ”

That being the case, of course, the most important thing is the truth. ”

Hearing this, Madame laughed, and then said: "You are just a person, even if you insist, you can only make yourself sad and angry, before the feast, you think about it, in any case, give an answer later." ”

Xu Le bowed his head and thanked him, and watched his wife leave slowly with a long black dress. When he straightened up, he realized that his back was already soaked, and in the cold winter season, although the inside of the clubhouse was extremely warm, the sweat was cold sweat. In the past year, the situation in the Federation has changed, and he is extremely clear about what kind of terrifying existence the Seven Families of the Federation are, and the previous lady is even more daring to look at the object.

The lady herself did not have any earth-shattering momentum, and her speech was extremely calm and plain, but it was related to this lady

The previous questioning and refutation made by Xu Le caused the pressure in his heart, and he was in the underground parking lot of the Linhai State Gymnasium, facing the heavy M52 mecha.

"This way, please. At some point, the butler appeared at his side, and very politely led him out of the room, and walked along a completely different style to the lively part of the clubhouse.

Xu Lexian's housekeeper is not the same as when he met a year ago, at least there is a certain hostility and indifference hidden in that politeness, which makes him very puzzled, even if his wife doesn't like him, but with his own identity and strength, how can he cause the hostility of the housekeeper?

It was his turn to think more, in a side hall of the clubhouse, there was a flash light on, and the instant light made Xu Le's eyes squint even more, and the warm applause made his keen hearing much worse, and he basically just understood what awards, what mecha important research, what Kaqifeng fighter division and so on.

A general stepped forward, patted him on the shoulder, personally attached a medal to the left breast of his uniform, and leaned into his ear and said, "Good job, young man, the medal of merit will be in your hands in a few days." ”

Another member of parliament motioned for everyone to raise their glasses, so everyone raised their glasses, and in silence, Xu Le also had an extra glass of precious champagne in his hand.

For a moment, the wine glass sounded softly, the music played lightly, and everyone chuckled, but the music was like a puppet, and it was allowed to be manipulated in this federal feast.

......

......

Xu Le and the housekeeper walked out of the hall, the guests of the Liufengpo Club were the most honorable and noble figures in the Federation, and the number was not large, so it didn't seem to be noisy, and the music behind him was gradually forgotten, he came back to his senses a little, squinted his eyes and asked, "I don't understand what this means, I didn't promise Madame." ”

Along the way, some people raised their glasses to Xu Le, with respectful eyes and affectionate expressions, a few people were seen by Xu Le in Lin Yuan, but more were characters who had only been seen on TV in the past. These bigwigs may not know Xu Le, but they all know Xu Le, they know that this young man plays a role in the presidential election, and more importantly, they know that their wife appreciates this young man and decides to cultivate this young man, which is enough for them to give him enough attention.

"I want to leave. Xu Le said to the housekeeper.

The butler took him to an office on the second floor, and then handed him another folder, and the old butler looked at him with a strange look, and said coldly: "There are convenient places and roads for people, and others can leave at any time." But your path is sealed. ”

Xu Le's eyes narrowed, Madame wanted to control herself, this is not surprising, but why are they still going according to the plan after he clearly expressed his opposition? Thinking of this, he suddenly felt that this folder was a little heavy.

Inside the folder are several photos and an archive.

One of the photos is a rare photo of Xu Le in Donglin that year, and the object of the group photo is Li Wei and Qiangzi. Another photograph was taken recently, showing Levi walking down a street with a scar on his face, and the style of the street did not appear to be in the territory of the Federation.

Xu Le's hand holding the folder suddenly trembled, not because of the strength in his body, but because of the extreme fear and shock.

The file attached to the folder, he didn't look at it carefully, because the first paragraph of the file clearly had a few sentences written on it.

"Citizen number information node disappears, Name: Xu Le, Notes: Federal Program Target 2 Death confirmed. ”

When he saw these things, Xu Le knew that everything had changed fundamentally. The identity of the federal fugitive, the person responsible for the first sequence of the charter bureau, and the relationship with Uncle Feng Yu, those secrets hidden deep in his heart, no one knows except him, finally, finally, finally ...... Someone has appeared!

Cold, fearful, angry, violent murder, drifting away, in the end, all these mixed and frantic emotions in the end only turned into a heavy breath after silence and shock.

The housekeeper said calmly, "Madame gave you time to think about it, how did you think about it?"

Yes, in that room earlier, Madame asked him to think about it before the dinner, and Xu Le at that time did not expect that this Madame had already grasped her most fatal point, and in this case, the time for thinking would be compressed into a humiliating range.

Xu Le had never considered accepting the style and methods of these big figures in the Federation, but he also did not clearly know what he should do about this matter, but for the first time in his life, he felt helpless and uneasy with the heavy hundreds of thousands of tons of folders in his hands.

Levi ...... Where are you now?" Xu Le said in a hoarse voice after a long time.

"Bermuda, of course, you can also say that it is in our hands. The butler said the words of a kidnapper, but he still looked so steady and elegant.

Xu Le licked his dry lips, smiled a little hard, groped for his military uniform with trembling hands, and touched the cardboard box from under the Purple Star Order watch, which represented supreme honor.

He took out a Sanqi brand cigarette and lit it, took a deep breath with a shudder, and said, "Give me some time, I'll go sit in the square for a while, blow the cold wind, and I should be sober." ”