Chapter 696: The Plan
Chapter 696: The Plan
Han Zhuguan gazed out from the car, his tone as calm as ever. "Manager Wen, I came here specifically to meet you."
Manager Wen was taken aback but quickly responded with a hearty laugh, "If Han Zhuguan wants to see me, a simple call would've sufficed. There was no need for you to come all the way here."
"I wanted to have a private conversation with you," Han Zhuguan explained.
"Oh, I see," Manager Wen said, checking his watch. Han Zhuguan remained silent, simply observing him.
Manager Wen let out a soft chuckle and lowered his hand. "Since Han Zhuguan went out of his way to find me, I should at least give you some face, right? Let's find a place to talk, but not too far away. We both have our duties and can't afford to be absent for long."
"Let's find a place nearby," suggested Han Zhuguan.
The two stepped out of the car and, after a quick glance around, headed towards the distant embankment. They signaled to their escorts and armed personnel not to follow.
Both men were exceptional fighters, and despite not being on the front lines for a while, their skills remained formidable. In terms of pure combat strength, the armed personnel present might not be a match for the two of them combined. So, they felt assured letting them go.
Reaching the edge of the embankment, the sound of the ocean waves became incredibly clear. The sea breeze ruffled their cloak-like jackets as if they were wearing capes. Beneath them, waves crashed against the embankment, foaming white.
It was a little past five in the afternoon, and rain seemed imminent. In the distance, gray and white clouds merged and scattered, appearing unusually close to the sea, blocking out the sunlight.
The two men gazed at the surging waves before them. After a while, Han Zhuguan spoke, "I invited Manager Wen here because I received intelligence that the Union and the Linaksis Federation might join forces."
Manager Wen's expression turned serious. "Han Zhuguan, is this information reliable?"
"The message came through a covert channel," Han Zhuguan replied. "It hasn't been fully verified yet, and confirmation may take a long time. It's unlikely we'll ever get a hundred percent confirmation."
"I believe that if this information is true, waiting until then to react might be too late," Han Zhuguan continued. "We need to take preemptive action to suppress and obstruct the potential situation."
Manager Wen raised his doubts, "The Linaksis Federation and the Union joining forces? And the interest coordination between them isn't something their delegations can decide on their own."
Even though the Linaksis Federation is often likened to a company rather than a government, it is still a unified entity. While they cooperate with the Union, a corporate joint organization, they also remain wary of each other.
"But now they have a common enemy," Han Zhuguan argued. "I think it's reasonable."
Manager Wen pondered for a moment and asked, "Has this been reported to Wu Ju?"
"I received the message not long ago," Han Zhuguan replied. "I was about to report to Wu Ju, but he's currently being questioned for allowing the Linaksis Federation's foreign affairs personnel to escape. He's instructed us to handle everything ourselves for the time being."
"Wu Ju is right to handle this matter," Manager Wen agreed.
"This isn't something we can manage," Han Zhuguan said. "We should focus on our assigned tasks, especially the ones Wu Ju entrusted to us."
Manager Wen glanced at him and walked to the other side, using the Dimensional Token to inquire about the situation within the bureau. Upon learning that Wu Ju was indeed being questioned, he further asked about the duration of the inquiry and was informed that it was following procedure and the time was uncertain.
After the inquiry, Han Zhuguan waited patiently, his expression unreadable. A while later, Manager Wen returned and apologized, "Sorry to keep you waiting, Han Zhuguan. You know, we have to follow procedure, and I have to do the same. By the way, Han Zhuguan, what's your plan?"
"If this information is accurate," Han Zhuguan began, "as I mentioned earlier, we need to disrupt their alliance. It's not appropriate for us to act separately when they're united. We also need to concentrate our strength. I have a plan..."
He tapped the Dimensional Token, creating a private communication channel between them. He then transmitted a plan.
Manager Wen took a look. The plan involved relaxing surveillance in one of the Confluence Zone's channels, allowing the other side's personnel to enter, and then launching a concentrated purge. The plan also specified the primary targets, which were carefully chosen.
Manager Wen asked with a hint of surprise, "Are we primarily targeting the Linaksis Federation?"
"Because the Linaksis Federation has a special relationship with the Daming government," Han Zhuguan explained. "There's ample reason for us to purge them.
"By specifically targeting the Linaksis Federation, we avoid provoking the Union for now, which benefits our actions. And once we eliminate one side, dealing with the remaining one becomes simpler."
Manager Wen's face showed exaggerated surprise. "But targeting the Linaksis Federation is my responsibility. Aren't you afraid that this will make my job easier?"
"Han Zhuguan spoke in a calm tone, "I'm not just thinking about you. If they join forces, neither of us will be able to accomplish anything. We must first severely damage one side before dealing with the other. I'm offering to help you, and I hope you'll return the favor later. It's a mutually beneficial arrangement, isn't it?"
Wen Zhuguan thought for a moment and shook his head. "The plan is good, but we still don't have enough manpower."
The Jinbei Route was facing its most challenging situation due to the breach in the World Ring, requiring several times the usual manpower to seal it. The Handling Bureau and the Defense Department were doing their utmost, diverting a large number of personnel to that area.
The gap was expected to be sealed by the end of the year, but it was clear that these personnel couldn't be recalled yet.
To prevent the Municipal Parliament from causing trouble and hindering progress, they needed to leave behind a force to guard against them, maintain a substantial security presence in the Central City, and have backup personnel, making it a tight situation all around.
With their limited manpower, executing this plan might have a chance of success, but it wasn't entirely foolproof.
Han Zhuguan said, "Other Central Cities have already sent us a batch of support, and they've arrived in the past few days. Some are still on their way. Although Wu Ju isn't here, we can request an emergency allocation, and I'm sure the Bureau will approve it."
Wen Zhuguan considered for a moment and said, "It's still a bit of a strain. We've received a lot of support, but the number of elite combatants is limited. Captain Xu left in the afternoon, and some of the Bureau's elite combatants have already been reassigned. The remaining ones aren't many, and those two families are not the same. Even with additional manpower, it's still a stretch."
As a fighter, he was well aware that in armed conflicts, a single powerhouse could often change the situation, making it difficult to gauge the strength of each side solely based on the number of armed personnel.
Both the Union and the Linaksis Federation had undoubtedly gathered many elite fighters for this occasion.
While other Central Cities had provided support, they also had their difficulties and areas that required maintenance, so it was rare for them to send their top fighters. Having some mid-level combatants was already a significant contribution.
Han Zhuguan said, "If Wen Zhuguan feels that our strength is insufficient, we might consider joining forces with Chen Zhuguan. Don't forget that Chen Zhuguan is also very capable."
Wen Zhuguan immediately rejected the idea. "If we were to join forces, there might be some justification. After all, Wu Ju assigned the task of dealing with those two families to us separately. But Chen Zhuguan is in charge of managing security within the city.
I think this allocation is appropriate, as city matters also require attention. If Chen Zhuguan joins us, it would go against Wu Ju's intentions. From the perspective of task assignment, it would also be a violation of orders and procedures."
He shook his head. "This isn't appropriate."
Han Zhuguan said, "There are no guarantees in life, and I hope Wen Zhuguan will seriously consider my suggestion. If necessary, we can take charge personally."
He turned to Wen Zhuguan, "The situation now is different from ordinary times. If we follow procedures for everything, we won't be able to accomplish anything. Wen Zhuguan, when we were young, we were full of passion. Although we're older now, our blood hasn't cooled down yet."
His tone was calm and steady, but Wen Zhuguan's expression showed a brief moment of emotion.
"Also, Wen Zhuguan, I know you don't trust the support from the other Central Cities, so I didn't pay much attention to it before. But I hope you'll take a closer look at their information. You might discover something."
"That's all. I'll wait for your response."
After Han Zhuguan finished speaking, he nodded to Wen Zhuguan and turned to leave.
Wen Zhuguan stood alone, gazing at the distant sea. After a while, he took off his hat, smoothed his slightly disheveled hair, patted it gently, and put his hat back on.
At that moment, he felt a few cold drops of water hit his face. Without lingering, he turned and headed back to his car. As soon as he sat down, the sound of raindrops pattering on the window filled the air.
He instructed the radio operator in front, "Use my secret channel to send a telegram to the other side and ask about the situation regarding the Union and Linaksis Federation's collaboration..."
He wouldn't act rashly based on a seemingly true but unverified message. Although Han Zhuguan's plan could break the stalemate, it relied on accurate intelligence. If the information was incorrect, many things could backfire.
Therefore, he needed the cooperation and confirmation of the secret department. If there was indeed such a sign, it would be worth pursuing; otherwise, he would abandon the idea.
For now, there was still time, at least a few days, which he could afford to wait.
At this moment, he recalled Han Zhuguan's last words and accessed the Dimensional Token to review the information of some of the support personnel. As he read through certain profiles, his eyes paused, and he pondered silently, "If that's the case, Old Han's plan might not be impossible..."
...
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(End of Chapter)
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