Zhao Longfei thought for two seconds, arranged a smiling expression on his face, answered the call, and turned on speakerphone so that Qin Siyang and Sun Linshou beside him could hear as well.
"Hello, Minister Cui. What's the matter?"
["Principal Zhao, I heard that Sun Linshou was assassinated while investigating Jiang Yuanrui's case in District 7? How is he now?"]
"We're actually worrying about this matter right now. We arrived a little too late. Although we killed the person who assassinated Sun Linshou, we found Sun Linshou's body in the sewers."
["Sun Linshou is dead?"]
Zhao Longfei's tone was gloomy, "Mm. Completely dead."
["This is troublesome! He died right after questioning you and Qin Siyang. The two of you definitely can't clear yourselves of suspicion, so you have to come to my Ministry of Justice for questioning."]
"How long do we have to go for?"
["Hard to say."]
Zhao Longfei frowned deeply, "Minister Cui, District 7 has only just stabilized, and now you want to transfer me away. It will cause us huge losses. Is there any way you can make an exception?"
["Principal Zhao, the person who died isn't just anyone. He was the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice, and he had also openly made enemies with the two of you. I don't have much room to maneuver either…"]
"Minister Cui, we've been cooperating for so long. I believe that as long as you think of a way, there's still a solution. After all, this matter will definitely be handled by your Ministry of Justice, won't it?"
["Ah, for the sake of our years of cooperation, I'll give you a way. Your Zhao family secretly gives me half of the crystal coin quota in your hands, and I'll find a scapegoat to take responsibility for everything."]
"Half?", Zhao Longfei shook his head, "Minister Cui, you're asking for a bit too much this time. The Ministry of Justice's crystal coin quota is already entirely under your control, far exceeding the compensation you should have received according to our previous cooperation. Is that still not enough for you to help us get through the assassination of Minister Sun peacefully?"
["Principal Zhao, these crystal coins aren't for me. Even if you add up the entire crystal coin quota of our Ministry of Justice, it's less than half of your Zhao family's quota. How would I dare swallow so much directly?"]
"Then who are you giving them to?"
["Of course, they're the price for the scapegoat to save his life."]
"Minister Cui, you're joking. You want half of my Zhao family's crystal coin quota to buy someone's life. Did you summon this scapegoat from the Thirty-Three Heavens?"
["The Thirty-Three Heavens? Sounds like the place where the gods of your Eastern Nation live?"]
"More or less."
["Principal Zhao, I'm from Bang Country. Please don't use overly profound Eastern Nation idioms when you speak. The scapegoat I'm looking for isn't a god, but he isn't much different from one either."]
"Who?"
["The Samsara Church."]
A fierce look appeared in Zhao Longfei's eyes, "You want the Samsara Church to take the blame for this? You actually have connections with the Samsara Church?"
["Actually, we don't have much of a connection. I'm just from the same hometown as one of their cadres. Principal Zhao, if it weren't for the fact that you and I have had a pleasant cooperation, I absolutely wouldn't reveal this connection of mine."]
"Does it have to be the Samsara Church?"
["Other than an organization like the Samsara Church, which is targeted by the United Government, who else can take this blame without a care in the world?"]
Zhao Longfei fell silent for a few seconds, seemingly hesitating.
Cui Canxun explained again, ["Principal Zhao, think about it. Is half of the crystal coin quota more important, or is the stability of District 7 more important?"]
["But if this gets out, our Zhao family will be completely finished. So many crystal coins flowing out through a cult, do you think Secretary-General Gu will let me off?"]
["It's not that serious! You give them to the Samsara Church, and the Samsara Church will release the crystal coins into the market through other means, guaranteeing that there won't be any problems with their origins. They absolutely won't cause trouble for your Zhao family."]
"You mean the Samsara Church has infiltrated the various factions as well?"
["How would I know about that? This is only something a cadre of the Samsara Church from my hometown told me before, and it was also something I verified."]
Zhao Longfei still seemed unable to make up his mind, "Minister Cui, but our Zhao family just wiped out the Samsara Church's branch in District 7. Will they agree to cooperate with us?"
["Trust me, the people of the Samsara Church are very magnanimous. They won't care about that. Besides, precisely because you just wiped out a branch of the Samsara Church, if the crystal coins you give them are accidentally exposed, no one will suspect your Zhao family, right?"]
Zhao Longfei nodded reluctantly, "Fine. Give me some time. I'll discuss it with my elder brother."
["Principal Zhao, you'd better make a decision as soon as possible. You can't let this opportunity pass!"]
"Mm."
Zhao Longfei hung up the phone, his expression growing increasingly ugly.
Sun Linshou said, "Now, Principal Zhao believes what I said?"
Zhao Longfei nodded, "Minister Sun's words hit the nail on the head. It really is a trap set by Cui Canxun. From the moment you were assassinated until just now, it was only a short while, yet you figured out the whole cause and effect. You really are still going strong despite your age."
Qin Siyang was equally surprised.
He had seen Sun Linshou's pale face and panicked expression just moments ago.
Yet he had recovered his composure so quickly and sorted out his thoughts.
As expected, he was an old politician who had been through a lot.
Zhao Longfei took a deep drag of his cigar, "Cui Canxun directly worked out the arrangements for dealing with Minister Sun's death. If this wasn't planned in advance, then I'd be damned. The Samsara Church… This is really troublesome."
Sun Linshou added, "To be honest, the reason I insisted this morning that Student Qin go alone to the scene of the case was also arranged by the Samsara Church. One of their cadres contacted me this morning, first giving me a substantial advance payment, and promised that if Student Qin were abducted, they would find a way to make me Minister of Justice."
"So, you believed them?"
Sun Linshou gave a self-deprecating smile, "At my age, with my resume, do I have any other choice if I want to advance another step?"
Zhao Longfei looked toward Qin Siyang, seeking his opinion.
Qin Siyang smiled calmly, "Thank you, Minister Sun, for being frank. You were merely used by the Samsara Church. Let's let this matter pass."
Sun Linshou was rather surprised and nodded, "Student Qin's magnanimity and vision truly impress me. I always thought that 'heroes emerge among the young' was nothing more than motivational talk fed to young people. I didn't expect it to actually become a reality in Student Qin."
"How am I that impressive? I'm just distinguishing between the primary and secondary contradictions."
Sun Linshou's eyes showed appreciation, "What a way to distinguish between primary and secondary contradictions. So many people spend their entire lives unable to understand something that Student Qin summed up in such a simple sentence."
Qin Siyang then looked toward Zhao Longfei, "What are Principal Zhao's plans?"
"Cui Canxun has to be cut off," Zhao Longfei exhaled a smoke ring, "When our Zhao family chooses partners, we absolutely won't choose a troublemaker like the Samsara Church. What's more, having ties with them means giving them leverage over us. From then on, we'd always be threatened by the Samsara Church."
Zhao Longfei looked solemnly at Sun Linshou.
"Minister Sun, no, Vice Minister Sun, let me ask you a question."
"Please."
"If you became Minister of Justice, what would you do?"