Arranged marriage, love blossoms; a fiercely devoted soldier dotes on her alone.

"Haha, lots of people know me, but I don't necessarily know everyone who knows me, that's normal!"

Chen Hongwei said coldly.

That makes perfect sense. As a high-ranking and powerful figure, he must have a lot of people who know him.

He meets with many people every day, and many people report to him about work-related matters; it's impossible for him to know everyone he meets.

Xiao Zhan chuckled, "Hehe! Commander Chen, do you know his name?"

Chen Hongwei's face suddenly darkened and he shouted sternly, "Xiao Zhan, have you had enough fun? I have something to do and need to go out for a bit today, so I won't bother with you."

"Xia Keke, take Xiao Zhan out."

Xia Keke didn't speak or move, but stared into Chen Hongwei's eyes, her face showing a complex expression.

Because she could see through Chen Hongwei's subtle facial expressions the instant he saw Hong Tao.

Seeing that Xia Keke didn't move, Chen Hongwei shouted again, "Xia Keke, what are you doing? Do you even want to keep your job?"

Xia Keke stubbornly asked, "Director Chen, do you even know Hong Tao?"

Chen Hongwei: "I don't know him."

With tears welling up in her eyes, Xia Keke said, "Director Chen, you are my mentor. When I first joined the National Security Bureau, I worked as your assistant. You taught me step by step and brought me into the industry. I have always regarded you as my idol and my father. In my heart, you will always be an upright, brave and strong person. I never thought that you would be a pawn in Liu Shiyuan's chessboard."

Chen Hongwei's expression changed drastically, a hint of panic flashing in his eyes. He shouted angrily, "Xia Keke, what nonsense are you spouting? What is a chess piece?"

Xiao Zhan saw the panic in Chen Hongwei's eyes clearly and said, "Chen Hongwei, stop making excuses. A real man should have the courage to admit the truth."

Upon hearing Xiao Zhan address him by his first name, Chen Hongwei flew into a rage and roared, "Xiao Zhan, you've gone too far! What right do you have to call me by my first name?"

At this moment, Chen Hongwei harbored murderous intent...

He had some reservations before, since quite a few people had come to the office, and he thought he would just try to get through it first.

But he couldn't care less about that now, because even his beloved general Xia Keke suspected him and publicly said that he was Liu Shiyuan's pawn.

If Xia Keke didn't have solid evidence, she wouldn't have spoken to me like that.

Xia Keke's information likely came from Hong Tao...

This means Hong Tao has become a traitor...

Therefore, Chen Hongwei wanted to kill everyone in his office...

Suddenly, Chen Hongwei slammed his hand on the desk.

"Snapped!"

A loud bang startled everyone in the room.

Chen Hongwei then casually swept his hand toward the glass teacup on the desk.

"Clang!"

The glass teacup flew out, fell to the ground, and shattered into pieces...

In the lounge,

Wang Meng kept his ears perked up, listening to what was being said outside.

When he heard Chen Hongwei slamming his fist on the table and smashing a cup.

He yanked open the door, raised the pistol in his hand, and was about to pull the trigger on Xiao Zhan…

"Bang."

Suddenly, a gunshot rang out.

Wang Meng's body jolted violently, his eyes widening instantly...

"Bang!"

The pistol in his hand fell to the ground.

A bullet pierced Wang Meng's forehead and entered his head. The hot, scalding bullet instantly turned the tissue inside his head into a mess, then exited from the back of his head, leaving a fist-sized hole in his skull.

Blood gushing out, brains bursting open…

Then, a wisp of faint blue smoke rose from the muzzle of the gun in Xiao Zhan's hand.

At the critical moment,

Xiao Zhan fired half a second first.

That was incredibly dangerous.

This also shows that Xiao Zhan is a bit more powerful than Wang Meng...

"thump."

Wang Meng's body lay stiffly on the floor, large amounts of blood staining the high-quality imported wooden floor, and a strong stench of blood filled the air...

"what!"

Chen Hongwei's secretary screamed in fright.

Xiao Zhan pointed his gun at his secretary and said coldly, "You'd better not scream, or you'll end up like Wang Meng."

The secretary had never seen anything like this before. She was so frightened that she trembled and covered her mouth, not daring to make a sound.

Chen Hongwei hadn't expected that even Wang Meng was no match for Xiao Zhan. Seeing his scheme exposed, he gave a wry smile and said, "Xiao Zhan, do you dare to shoot someone in my office?"

"Who gave you the guts?"

"I gave him the courage."

Suddenly, a deep, resonant voice rang out from outside the door.

Upon hearing the sound, Chen Hongwei froze, then collapsed to the ground like a deflated balloon...

He knew he was completely finished...

The voice outside continued, "I saw everything that just happened clearly, Chen Hongwei. I never expected you to be one of Liu Shiyuan's pawns."

Chen Hongwei's face was ashen, and he couldn't utter a single word.

At this point, nothing you say will make a difference.

At this moment, Xiao Zhan looked at Hong Tao and said, "I'll give you a chance to save your life. Tell me where Liu Shiyuan is hiding."

Hong Tao's eyes lit up when he heard there was an opportunity.

Nobody wants to die if they can live.

Hong Tao quickly said, "I'm willing to confess."

A few minutes later,

Xiao Zhan ordered, "Take Chen Hongwei away."

Two team members were about to step forward.

Xia Keke said to Xiao Zhan, "Let me do it."

Xiao Zhan nodded, signaling the others not to move.

Xia Keke walked up to Chen Hongwei and asked, "Master, why did you choose to be someone else's pawn?"

Chen Hongwei raised his head and stared coldly at Xia Keke. After thinking for a moment, he said, "In the thousands of years of culture in China, the distance between the Jianghu (江湖, the martial arts world) and the height of the imperial court are relative. There are always some ambitious people who hope to be in the high halls of power, to serve as teachers to emperors, and to accomplish great things. In fact, the officialdom and the Jianghu are like two sides of the same coin, opposing yet complementary to each other. What exists in the Jianghu also exists in the officialdom, and what exists in the officialdom also exists in the Jianghu. This has always been the case for thousands of years."

"I used to believe that those who start with great ambition will surely succeed in the end, and those who succeed plan ahead from the beginning. However, the harsh reality of society taught me a lesson. I am a child from a farming family. I served in the army for a few years and then returned to my hometown after being discharged. I had no political background or connections. They wouldn't even arrange a job for me. Meanwhile, my comrades who served with me had connections, backers, and networks. After they were discharged, they were all assigned to public security, procuratorate, and judicial positions. I could only go back to the countryside to farm, living a life of working from sunrise to sunset."

"I'd like to ask, what if you had a chance to turn the tide, but the prerequisite was loyalty to someone?"

"What would you choose if you were in my shoes?"

Xia Keke: "So when Liu Tuyuan found you, promising you a career in government and high-ranking positions, you became his pawn without hesitation and willingly."

Chen Hongwei said with a wry smile, "Coco, you come from a wealthy and prestigious family in Beijing. You've been pampered since you were a child. You don't understand the despair and helplessness a person feels when they are cornered and in dire straits."

"I dare say that if it were you, you would also choose to leave the countryside without hesitation."