I was just playing tricks, how come I became Bai Yueguang

"A letter from Shen Zhuang to me?"

"Snapped--"

Zhou Guochao stood up, and the agarwood bracelet in his hand made a dull thud.

Butler Zhou bowed slightly and handed over the letter with both hands, "This was found on you, sir. Your name is written on it."

Zhou Yuanzheng glanced at Old Man Zhou, stepped forward to take the letter, opened the seal and took a quick look at it, his face darkening.

"Dad, Shenzhuang invites you to Shen Garden for a chat."

Zhou Guochao narrowed his eyes slightly and said, "Give it to me."

Zhou Yuanzheng immediately handed over the letter.

Zhou Yuanyi looked around, patted his thigh, and stood up. "Dad, the Shen family beat my second brother like that without any explanation, and now they want you to go to Shen Garden. What do you think they are up to?"

Zhou Guochao looked at the vigorous and rigid handwriting on the letter, his expression gradually becoming solemn.

"The Hongmen Banquet."

Zhou Yuanzheng said, "Father, how about I go for you?"

Zhou Guochao shook his head, "Either the Zhou family doesn't go to this banquet, or if they do, I have to go in person."

Zhou Yuanzheng hesitated a bit. "Last night at the hospital, Mr. Shen turned half the police station upside down. What do you think he was trying to do?"

Zhou Guochao's eyes were filled with a dim light as he casually played with the agarwood bracelet in his hand. "What do you want to do? Just go and take a look and you'll know."

After half an hour.

Zhou Yuanyi walked out of the study alone. Old Master Zhou always discussed important family matters only with his eldest son, and he was used to it.

Unexpectedly, as soon as I walked out of the main hall, I ran into Zhou Yanheng who had just returned from outside.

Zhou Yuanyi was overjoyed and went to greet him with a smile from afar.

"Ah Heng, how are you? Is your second uncle okay?"

Zhou Yanheng said, "The doctor said both legs are broken and need to be reconnected. I'm coming back to discuss with Grandpa what to do."

"How ridiculous! This Shen family is so arrogant!" Zhou Yuanyi was furious. "They beat your second uncle like that, and now they're inviting you to Shen Garden as a guest. I don't know what they're up to!"

Zhou Yanheng originally didn't want to pay attention to Zhou Yuanyi, but after hearing this, he paused slightly, with a look of surprise on his face, "The Shen family invited Grandpa to Shen Garden?"

Zhou Yuanyi nodded, "Isn't it? Not only did they beat someone up and humiliate him at the door, but they even deliberately posted it to the old man. In my opinion, the Shen family is declaring war on us."

Zhou Yanheng's eyes darkened slightly, he nodded slightly and turned away.

“Eh?! Ah…”

"Husband, who are you calling?" Xu Wenpei heard Zhou Yuanyi's voice and hurried down from the second floor.

Zhou Yuanyi's face suddenly darkened. "Who told you to come down?! Didn't I tell you to spend more time talking to my sister-in-law when you have nothing to do? It's a rare opportunity for us to go back to the master's house, how come you can't even do such a small thing?"

Xu Wenpei was used to putting her husband first, so she smiled and explained, "My sister-in-law and I were talking the whole time, and I just came out because I thought it was almost time."

"Well, remember, you must be careful with your words and actions in this family and don't cause me any trouble."

Xu Wenpei didn't dare to disobey and nodded quickly, "I'll remember."

Seeing Zhou Yuanyi's expression ease a little, she bravely asked, "Today, my sister-in-law also talked to me about Ah Shan."

"What are you talking about her for?!" Zhou Yuanyi's eyes twitched, and he looked like he was about to get angry.

Xu Wenpei immediately excused herself, "It was my sister-in-law who asked me if Ah Shan had written a letter home? It wasn't me..."

Zhou Yuanyi snorted coldly, "Why write a letter? I've already told you that if she dares to leave, I'll treat her as dead. She refused to listen to the marriage proposal and insisted on following Hua Mulan's example and joining the army. A girl with no power or influence, what kind of success can she achieve?"

Xu Wenpei's eyes suddenly became sore. Her daughter was a piece of flesh and blood that fell from her body. How could she just give her up? But she didn't dare to disobey Zhou Yuanyi and could only swallow her tears.

*

At the same time, thousands of miles away, in a training camp 313.

"report!"

Zhou Qishan was wearing a camouflage combat uniform and had short hair that reached her ears, looking heroic.

The officers in the lecture hall had different expressions. The man in the lead wore a Silver Eagle medal on his shoulder, and the wrinkles between his brows were as deep as if they were carved by a knife. He extinguished the cigarette in his hand and said, "Come in."

Zhou Qishan guessed the man's identity at a glance and walked in with her brows lowered.

The moment she entered the lecture hall, everyone was looking at her. The man in the lead casually flipped through two pages of the report and looked up at everyone.

It was a questioning look, and everyone exchanged glances and nodded almost in unison.

The man's expression softened slightly, and he opened his cigarette case and took a bite out of it. The major beside him understood and took the initiative to speak, "Zhou Qishan."

"arrive."

The major stood up and handed over the information in his hand, "Take a look."

Zhou Qishan glanced up at the man in the main seat, silently took the information and began to read it on the spot. Suddenly, she was stunned and looked at the major with a little surprise, "Undercover?"

The major nodded. "Yunxiang has a unique geographical location, bordering four countries and hosting a mixed bag of people. In recent years, drug traffickers have become even more rampant, even colluding with local government officials to establish drug villages. The police department has tried every possible means to find their drug production dens and transaction ledgers, but has been unable to find them. A few days ago, the police's undercover agent completely disappeared, so the police department commissioned our unit to select a qualified soldier to provide support."

"After much investigation, my department has decided to send you to support Yunxiang. Do you have any questions?"

Zhou Qishan thought for a moment and said, "Yes, sir."

The major had originally been asking politely, but he hadn't expected her to actually bring it up. He was taken aback, "Go ahead."

Zhou Qishan, "Report, Yunxiang is a large city, and the police department's combat power is among the best in Country A. Can't they even find an undercover candidate? Even if they really can't spare any, they are the Ministry of National Defense, and we are a joint battalion. According to procedure, it should be faster to borrow personnel from the guard battalion. Sir, is there a problem with the procedure?"

As soon as these words fell, the leading man raised his eyebrows calmly.

"..." The major was speechless. A soldier who had never seen the world actually knew so much about the military system and authority of Country A. He couldn't answer this question and could only look at the main seat awkwardly.

The man said calmly, "There's no problem with the procedure."

Zhou Qishan glanced at the man, her eyes slightly thoughtful, "I understand."

Man, "Understand what?"

"The commander just mentioned that the Yunxiang government is colluding with drug lords. The police department skipped the National Defense Department and asked the Joint Battalion for help. I think they're trying to protect Yunxiang's protection."

The Ministry of National Defense is under the President's jurisdiction and is managed by the government. If the colluder is a senior government official, they can use their authority to freely access police department cases. Conversely, the 313th Division is not part of the same system as the National Defense Department, so even if someone in Yunxiang were to wield all power, they wouldn't be able to track down the 313th Division.

Zhou Qishan suddenly thought of something and said solemnly, "Sir, I have another question."

"Ti." This time the man spoke to her directly.

"The 313th Division is full of talented people. Why did they choose me for such an important mission?"

Although she had been in the army for two years, her abilities were still not as good as those veterans who had been guarding the border for ten years.

How come every question was so precise? The major couldn't help but look at Zhou Qishan again.

The man bit his cigarette butt and said simply, "Why use a butcher knife to kill a chicken?"

“…” Zhou Qishan couldn’t refute for a moment.

The major chuckled twice, "Zhou Qishan, do you have any other questions?"

Zhou Qishan looked at the information in her hand with a firm gaze, "No."

"Wait." The man suddenly interrupted, his eyes lingering on the file for a moment, then turned to look at Zhou Qishan, "Are you a member of the Zhou family?"

Yunxiang’s mission was not as simple as the man said. None of the people sent out by the Security Department survived, which meant that Zhou Qishan was at risk of dying in the line of duty at any time.

Without waiting for Zhou Qishan's response, the man waved his hand and said, "Change the candidate."

If anything happens to the daughter of the Zhou family, the Zhou family will never let it go, and he doesn't want to deal with that group of political pushers.

"Why are you replacing me?!" Just as everyone was about to find someone else, Zhou Qishan suddenly spoke up. "If you're replacing me because of my lack of ability, or if it's for mission considerations, I understand. But I just can't accept replacing me just because my last name is Zhou."

The man was stunned, obviously not expecting the new recruit to challenge him. "What if I insist on changing?"

Zhou Qishan, "I will appeal to the military court."

"..."

"!"

All the officers around were silent, holding their breath and not daring to make a sound.

*

The next day.

Zhou Guochao arrived with Zhou Yuanzheng as scheduled. He originally thought that Shen Zhuang just wanted to make a break with the Zhou family, but he never expected that the front yard of the courtyard was already full of cars with different family logos.

Zhou Yuanzheng was stunned, his expression becoming more serious. "What is the Shen family planning to do?"

Zhou Guochao was a little startled. When he looked up, he saw Zheng Song leading a group of bodyguards in suits walking out of the yard.

"Mr. Zhou, please come in."

Zhou Yuanzheng calmly pulled Zhou Guochao to his side. The atmosphere in Shen Garden was very different today. Bodyguards were standing guard everywhere in front of and behind the courtyard. The atmosphere was heavy and did not seem like a place to welcome guests.

Zhou Guochao had seen all kinds of storms and waves. He gently fiddled with the bracelet with his thumb and said, "Let's make the best of it." After that, he lightly brushed away Zhou Yuanzheng's hand and strode towards the inner courtyard with his head held high.

*

"Here it comes! Another big live turtle has fallen into the trap."

Fu Suier stood on the top of the rockery, holding a telescope in his hand and waving at the pavilion by the lake, "Shanshan, Zhizhi, come and see!"

The golden sunlight fell on her bright and radiant eyes, which were so lively and vivid, a stark contrast to her withered and decadent appearance a day ago.

Jiang Huashan sat motionless in the pavilion. She was extremely tired these days and just wanted to lie down when she returned to Shen Garden. If Fu Suier hadn't said there was a good show to watch and had to pull her out of Ju Garden, she would still be lying on the bed.

Shen Mianzhi held her chin with both hands, smiled and waved to Fu Suier, "Come down quickly, it's dangerous up there."

Fu Sui'er waved her hand and refused to come down. Her grandfather had set up the Hongmen Banquet in the front yard to settle the score later. She wanted to see who was so bold as to plot against the queen behind her back?

Jiang Huashan yawned lazily, "You play with her, I'm going back to sleep."

Shen Mianzhi was a little surprised, but nodded without saying anything, "Be careful on the road."

Jiang Huashan waved her hand, "Got it."

At the moment in Shen Garden, there is a guard every five steps and a guard every ten steps. She can't be unsafe even if she wants to.

Shen Mianzhi watched Jiang Huashan leave, and after a moment's hesitation, he walked out of the pavilion, "Suir."

Fu Sui'er turned around and saw that only Shen Mianzhi was there. He frowned, turned around and jumped off the rockery, "Where's Shanshan? Did she go back to sleep again?"

Shen Mianzhi nodded and looked in the direction of the main hall. "A lot of people from the Shen family came today."

"That's right. Even people from the military department and the Ministry of National Defense have come." When he thought that the murderer who framed Shen Jiao might be hiding here, Fu Suier's brows showed a bit more viciousness.

Shen Mianzhi pondered for a moment, his eyes darkening, "Grandpa, have you invited all the forces in Whale Harbor?"

Fu Suer, "It's better to catch them all in one fell swoop, so we don't have to check them one by one."

Seeing that Shen Mianzhi didn't respond, Fu Suier restrained his expression and rubbed her shoulder, "What's the matter?"

Fu Sui'er's actions were more intimate than before. Shen Mianzhi could clearly feel that their feelings were heating up. She cleared her throat and pretended to be calm, "There's something I think I should tell you."

"what?"

Shen Mianzhi, "I think Shanshan might have guessed who the murderer is?"

*

The main hall of Shen Garden.

The Twelve Flower God Gates are fully open to welcome guests from all directions.

As soon as Zhou Guochao stepped over the threshold, he was shocked by the scene in front of him.

The hall had been redecorated. There were more than twenty rosewood armchairs placed around the large round table, and a row of familiar faces were sitting inside.

Seeing the new guest, the people inside all looked over. After recognizing that it was the old man of the Zhou family, they immediately stood up and greeted him.

Zhou Guochao's face remained calm, but in fact, a huge wave of emotions was already rising in his heart.

The military, national defense, parliament, the procuratorate...

Did Shen Zhuang invite all the top leaders from the summit to his home?

What does he want to do?

"dad."

Zhou Yuanzheng also realized that something was wrong. He was about to speak when Zhou Guochao raised his hand to stop him. "There are too many people here. Let's talk about it when we get back."

The old man of the Su family, holding a pipe in his hand, waved to Zhou Guochao in a casual manner, "Mr. Zhou, I heard that both of Ah Zheng's legs were broken. How could he be so careless?"

How could Zhou Guochao not hear that this venomous tongue was deliberately mocking him? But it was not the right time to make an enemy, so Zhou Guochao pretended not to hear and took a seat far away.

Su Jingliu sneered at this and said to Xiao Qi beside him, "People's memories get worse as they get older. This old man Zhou is especially so. He always remembers the food but not the beatings."

The Xiao family has kept a low profile in the past two years because Xiao Lanlan was expelled from Shen Zhuang. How could Xiao Qi, a junior, dare to get involved in the feud between the Su and Zhou families? He forced a smile and did not respond.

Yu Siwen was also on the invitation list. Seeing that most of the powerful people in Jinggang Harbor gathered here, he couldn't help but feel a little apprehensive.

During the years when he was re-elected, the Shen family kept a low profile and never crossed the line, to the point that he almost forgot that the head of the Shen family was respected as the "Shadow President" by the people of Country A.

The big guys at the scene occasionally talked in low voices, and the atmosphere was harmonious.

"Are all here?"

Suddenly, a calm and low voice came from outside the door. Everyone was stunned. Looking up, they saw Shen Zhuang walking in from outside with a cane, followed closely by the male from the third branch of the Shen family.

Shen Zhuang glanced around the crowd, and with a slightly relaxed smile, he said, "I'm honored that you've arrived as promised."

"Mr. Shen, you are too kind."

Shen Zhuang was supported by Shen Lanxi as he crossed the hall and sat in the center seat at the round table. Shen Guiling and Shen Qingyu followed closely behind him, one on each side.

Shen Qian, Shen Yuan, and Shen Rang all had different expressions on their faces as they sat in the first seats in turn.

Su Jingliu blew out a puff of smoke and spoke first, "Old Shen, what's the matter that you called us here with such fanfare?"

Shen Zhuang put down his cane, his expression gentle, "Nothing? I just want to settle accounts with you all."

……