178: The most crucial step 1

The flames in the fireplace kept leaping.

On the coffee table, a blue light cube emitted a soft halo.

Lin Xiaoyu moved her shoulders, adjusting her posture to lean back more comfortably.

The previous tension in the air had been largely dispelled by Halsey's "little gesture."

"The meeting place was at the Tycho Dome, the garden cafe in the embassy district."

"That secretary's surname is Zhou, Zhou Wenbin. He is a very shrewd person with sharp eyes."

"As soon as we met, he started probing. His rhetoric was subtle, but the core message was singular: he wanted to know how much weight I, or the 'power' I represented, truly carried, and whether it was worth the General investing resources or opening doors for us."

Lin Xiaoyu slightly raised her chin: "How could I let him lead me by the nose? I had already prepared thoroughly using the Mainframe—oh, right, now she is Halsey... I had done my homework through Halsey beforehand."

"I told him we had sufficient resources and channels to purchase a considerable number of military-grade robots, and could also recruit retired soldiers with combat experience at any time."

"The goal was to establish a reliable security force capable of handling complex environments. I kept the specifics vague, only emphasizing that my 'resources were abundant.'"

"He didn't doubt it," Lin Xiaoyu said with a slight smile. "I brought Xiao Mei with me."

"Secretary Zhou stared at Xiao Mei for quite a while, and after that, his attitude became noticeably warmer."

Jiang Feng suddenly understood. Xiao Mei's current appearance was far from the low-key look of the initial model. It was easy for people to infer that this was equipment beyond the civilian market, an implicit symbol of status and power.

"But that still wasn't enough, was it?" Jiang Feng asked, puzzled.

"It wasn't enough." Lin Xiaoyu's eyes became playful: "I had Halsey investigate him. Zhou Wenbin has followed General President Du Lingfeng for six years, diligent and steady, neither outstanding nor failing. He's considered one of the General's more trusted old guards."

"But recently, the General has acquired a woman by his side."

"A woman?" Jiang Feng raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, very young, very beautiful, and very capable." Lin Xiaoyu said seriously: "It's rumored she defected from a certain conglomerate and has solved many 'needs' for the old man."

"More importantly, this woman is very good at handling things, securing considerable sponsorship and support from various conglomerates for the General, which has significantly bolstered his chips in the game for the Minister of Defense position."

She paused, and seeing Jiang Feng deep in thought, she continued.

"In this situation, Secretary Zhou's position has become awkward and precarious. If he doesn't achieve some notable success soon, he will likely be marginalized, or even kicked out entirely."

Jiang Feng couldn't help but look at his wife admiringly: "Your intelligence work is absolutely brilliant."

Lin Xiaoyu shot him a look, unfazed: "So, I gave him a subtle hint. I didn't have to say it outright, just let him know that I understood his current predicament."

"He was silent for a long time; his coffee went completely cold," Lin Xiaoyu recalled the scene.

"Then, using extremely veiled language, he played a guessing game with me."

"He said the General is currently trying to push through a major undertaking." Lin Xiaoyu's eyes grew serious.

"The General believes that after decades of enduring humiliation, it is time for the Terran Union to fight a war against the Hazbuzan People. The goal is to completely abolish the 'Criminal Syndicate Free License' that shackled the Terran Union's hands back then."

Jiang Feng felt a jolt. Starting a war now, given the Terran Union's current state? That was too radical.

"But Secretary Zhou also admitted that the General himself knows the risks and rewards are nearly equal."

"If he wins, he will naturally be a national hero with immense prestige."

"If he loses, or even if it results in a stalemate, he could be eternally damned."

"Therefore, the General desperately needs... someone to help him 'clear obstacles' and increase his chances of victory."

"Obstacles?" Jiang Feng pressed.

"A Gaia person." Lin Xiaoyu's voice dropped lower: "Her name is strange, called 'Brown Stalk.' She is a high-level consultant from the Gaia people stationed in the Terran Union, and she holds significant influence in both the military and political circles."

"It is said... she is one of the frontrunners for the next Minister of Defense position. The General believes that allowing a Gaia person to sit in the Terran Union's Minister of Defense seat would be the ultimate humiliation of the Terran Union's sovereignty and dignity!"

"Furthermore, this 'Brown Stalk' tends to maintain the status quo and opposes any risky actions that might disrupt the fragile balance between the Terran Union and the Hazbuzan People. She is the General's biggest internal obstacle to pushing for war."

"They want us to do their dirty work." Jiang Feng's expression turned cold.

"Exactly," Lin Xiaoyu nodded.

"Zhou Wenbin extremely subtly... revealed the recent whereabouts of the 'Brown Stalk' lady."

"She is currently representing the Terran Union Great Leader on a military visit to the Qien Empire."

"Of course, the official explanation is a goodwill visit. In reality, Secretary Zhou hinted that she is establishing a spy network, attempting to investigate the Tzynn's recent, noticeably abnormal movements."

Lin Xiaoyu spread her hands: "Her return route includes a brief stopover at Ganymede to inspect the naval anchorage."

"The timing... is roughly ten days from now."

Jiang Feng sighed softly. These people, lacking ability themselves, constantly dreamed of grand schemes.

Indeed, if they could "make the Brown Stalk lady... unexpectedly withdraw from the competition on Ganymede."

That would be an immense achievement for the General and for Secretary Zhou.

But for any team executing this mission, the risk would be tremendous.

"Impressive. They want to get something for nothing, freeloading off us to take out a high-ranking representative of the Gaia people?"

"If we obediently go along with it, we'll be the scapegoats, eternally damned!"

Lin Xiaoyu nodded: "I think so too. This path is too high-risk, the reward is unclear, and we'd simply be used as a weapon."

"So, I pretended not to understand at all. When Zhou Wenbin realized this, he simply gave me a cold shoulder and ended the discussion."

Jiang Feng fell into contemplation. General President Du Lingfeng's radical ideas made him uneasy.

In the Terran Union's current state, it absolutely could not afford any direct war against an alien power!

The Hazbuzan People, the Aolin People, and even the Obis People, who had just shown their financial tusk, were all watching covetously.

Without powerful external intervention, resistance relying solely on the Terran Union would be tantamount to suicide!

"You did the right thing. If a Terran Union General has been reduced to asking us for help, it either means he is at his wit's end, or he is looking for a scapegoat."

"If you had shown even the slightest interest, you probably would have been manipulated by them."

"Think about it: what if the General's people carried out the assassination, then turned around and threw the blame onto us?"

"What we need most right now is not to get involved in high-level power struggles, and certainly not to act as someone else's blade."

Jiang Feng's voice was clear: "We must accumulate our own strength. We need to develop quietly and hone our fists and shields!"

"As for that General..." A glint flashed in his eyes: "He has great ambition, little power, and his situation is precarious. He could serve as a potential source of information and... a certain kind of weathervane. Halsey..."

He looked at the blue light cube "playing dead" on the coffee table.

"Maintain surveillance on General President Du Lingfeng and Secretary Zhou Wenbin, using the highest level of stealth."

The surface of the blue light cube flickered faintly, a silent response.

But after a moment, Halsey suddenly pushed open a window and asked: "Sir, how much authority do I have?"

Jiang Feng looked into her eyes and smiled slightly: "Don't hold back. You have full discretionary power."

"Understood!"

Halsey was overjoyed, saluting with one hand while grabbing the window with the other.

*Bang.* The blue cube was shut.