Chapter 261: Someone Who Must Never Become the Enemy

At 7 PM last night, a serious vandalism incident occurred at the Nanjing Nightclub. A group of unidentified thugs attacked the nightclub, hitting people and smashing things indiscriminately. Upon receiving reports from the public, the Nanjing City Public Security Bureau immediately dispatched personnel to the scene to control the situation and arrest some of the assailants.

Nanjing City Public Security Bureau Director Zhao Anmin, in an interview, stated: "This is a severe violent incident that not only threatens the safety of people's lives and property but also obstructs Nanjing City's reform and opening-up efforts, causing a significant negative impact on the city's social stability. The Public Security Bureau has set up an investigation team to thoroughly investigate this matter and strive to capture all suspects as soon as possible."

According to interrogations of the arrested vandals, they admitted to being officers and soldiers from a military region, and their attack on the Nanjing Nightclub was a form of revenge ordered by a certain military officer.

The People's Army is supposed to be the defender of the people, not private soldiers for anyone. The fact that a military officer has ordered his troops to vandalize a nightclub for personal vengeance is not only a serious violation of the law but also a significant moral decline in the officer's thinking!

However, whether this is a deliberate accusation by the thugs during interrogation or a real issue will be followed up by our channel.

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This is the report from Nanjing TV about the nightclub vandalism incident. At this time, Zhou Ming was having tea with Cao Jianning in a teahouse in Nanjing. Upon seeing the news, Cao Jianning was shocked and looked at Zhou Ming in disbelief, saying, "Advisor Zhou, can you really make this news public?"

"What's wrong with the news?" Zhou Ming asked, puzzled. "It doesn't directly say that the military did the vandalizing; it's just a suspicion!"

Cao Jianning felt completely lost at Zhou Ming's pretense of ignorance.

Indeed, while the news did not directly expose that the military was involved, politically, the mere suspicion expressed publicly indicates a political stance. Maybe Zhou Ming truly did not understand, but someone at the level of Executive Vice Governor Chen Yunfei should have known better. How could he have agreed to air such news?

As for whether the TV station failed to submit the news script to Chen Yunfei for approval, that was not within consideration. Unless the station's leaders were looking to quit their jobs.

Cao Jianning thought for a moment and then asked Zhou Ming, "Is there any arrangement from the Du family?"

Zhou Ming smiled and said, "President Cao, I'm just an ordinary citizen, not a core member of any influential family. How would I know such confidential matters? But I do know that the central government would not allow anyone to establish an independent kingdom."

Cao Jianning found Zhou Ming's answer somewhat ambiguous, but he sensed Zhou Ming's immense capability.

However, Cao Jianning was unaware that Zhou Ming was speaking the truth. He truly did not know the arrangements of the Du family and the central government. After Zhou Ming discussed his thoughts with Chen Yunfei, Chen Yunfei quickly agreed to help set up the military trap, which led to the subsequent events with the Public Security Bureau Director Zhao Anmin and the arrest operations.

Suddenly, Zhou Ming's large mobile phone on the table rang. It was Du Peng calling from the capital. He excitedly exclaimed, "Ah ha! Zhou Ming, you are really something! You actually got the police to wait at the nightclub to catch the military. That scene must have been spectacular!"

Du Peng's loud voice echoed in the quiet teahouse, making Cao Jianning feel that both Zhou Ming and Du Peng were extraordinary figures. The conflict between the military and the police was a serious matter anywhere, but they were not anxious at all. Instead, they seemed quite excited, which was bewildering.

Cao Jianning thought this way only because he had not witnessed the scene of the police and military confrontation last night.

When the police arrived, Major Xu and his troops did not surrender willingly and immediately assembled to fight back.

If it had been on a battlefield, the police would not have been able to stop these elite soldiers. But in the nightclub, without weapons and surrounded by the police, the scene was chaotic. Various uniforms clashed, and the small group tactics of the military could not be effectively utilized. Additionally, the nightclub's exits were narrow, and eventually, around thirty soldiers who could not escape were arrested and taken to the police station.

"Experiencing a police and military brawl is something best avoided if possible; it's not a pleasant experience," Zhou Ming said, then shifted the topic, asking, "Du Peng, how did things go in Yanjing?"

"Everything went smoothly!" Du Peng replied. "That's why I specifically called you today. I handed over the report to my elder last night, and he was very furious. He took the letter and went straight to find Old Yang. With the events of last night, this morning, my elder and others learned about it and immediately convened a central meeting. I heard Old Yang slammed the table, so it seems this matter will be dealt with seriously."

"Serious handling is good. Some matters need to be addressed severely; otherwise, the scoundrels won't be suppressed."

Zhou Ming said, but he was not yet relieved. He asked Du Peng, "Has the central government verified the matter with Baiyang Hotel?"

"It has been verified. Yesterday, the Lingnan Military Procuratorate investigated and found that certain officials in the Lingnan Military Region were indeed involved in smuggling crimes using military privileges, with Baiyang Hotel being a significant base for these criminals. The central government also sent an investigation team to collect firsthand information, and we should have results by the day after tomorrow at the latest," Du Peng answered.

Zhou Ming finally relaxed, leaning back in his chair and saying, "That's good. Our Chief of Staff Tao will have plenty of work ahead!"

"But Zhou Ming, I really want to crack open your head and see what's inside. It seems like you have everything under control. I still don't understand how you knew about Baiyang Hotel?" Du Peng asked again, a question Cao Jianning had wanted to ask but hesitated due to his position.

"Why are you still concerned about this? Didn't I tell you already? Baiyang Hotel's location is so unpromising for business. With Tao Guoling and Hua Shao visiting frequently, it's obvious something is wrong!" Zhou Ming responded.

"Then how did you know that Tao Guoling and Hua Shao were involved in smuggling?" Du Peng asked.

"That should be easy to find out, right? Many people in Lingnan know about it. President Cao knows, doesn't he?" Zhou Ming replied.

Zhou Ming's answer left both Du Peng and Cao Jianning speechless. They were unsure how to respond. They knew about Tao Guoling and Hua Shao's smuggling activities in Lingnan, covered by the military, making it almost impossible for customs to investigate. Sometimes even if customs tried to investigate, the military would block them with the excuse of military needs. This was an open secret in Lingnan.

But knowing is one thing; exposing it and making a big deal out of it is another. 

As the saying goes, "Heaven's justice is inevitable." Since smuggling in Lingnan was so rampant, the central government could not be completely unaware. The fact that the central government appeared to be ignoring it implied the issue was complex and sensitive. However, Zhou Ming's few reports to the central government had triggered an investigation, making the situation seem remarkably smooth and somewhat unbelievable.

Although Du Peng and Cao Jianning did not ask outright, Zhou Ming guessed their thoughts. He said, "Isn't it often said that 'heaven's justice is inevitable, and it's not that it doesn't come, but that the time hasn't arrived'? This is exactly the situation now. The central government didn't act before because the time wasn't right. Acting rashly would have been troublesome. But now, with someone trying to create an independent kingdom in Lingnan, the central government will definitely look for a breakthrough. By exposing the smuggling issue now, I'm essentially providing the central government with a lead. If the central government doesn't act, that would be problematic."

Zhou Ming's words left Du Peng and Cao Jianning stunned. They were not fools and understood political implications better due to their backgrounds.

Given the current situation, Zhou Ming and Cao's faction were at odds. Zhou Ming needed external help to break the deadlock quickly, and the central government was undoubtedly the best choice. Zhou Ming's actions, from military smuggling to creating a police-military confrontation, were all provocations that the central government could not ignore. If the central authorities were not foolish, they would naturally follow this thread and take action against Lingnan.

Every official who reached the central government was shrewd, especially Yang Lao, who was next in rank to the leader. He would not miss such an opportunity.

Given the current situation, Zhou Ming's approach seemed the only viable solution. But in such a tense time, how many people could come up with and dare to use such a method?

Cao Jianning remembered that he had been terrified when he first heard about this approach. He could hardly imagine that someone could conceive such a strategy. If anything had gone wrong, whether the central government had backed out or the Tao family had quickly cut ties with the smuggling group, the outcome could have been completely different.

Cao Jianning knew he would never dare to do this himself, but Zhou Ming...

Thinking of this, Cao Jianning had to say: "Zhou Ming is someone who must never become an enemy!"