0022 26 Machiavellian Personality
Wei Luochen was somewhat flattered; she couldn't figure out what Ling Xingzhi was thinking.
He drove himself, with Wei Luochen in the passenger seat, Bach's voice echoing in the car. He glanced at his phone for a while, then out of the corner of his eye, he looked at Ling Xingzhi; the two remained silent the entire way.
The car pulled up in front of the Wei family villa, and the two got out. Wei's parents were already standing at the door to welcome them. They greeted the two with smiles, and Wei Luochen jumped into his mother's arms. Ling Xingzhi put the car keys in his pocket and stepped up the stairs.
Dinner was quiet, save for the clatter of cutlery. Wei Luochen glanced at his mother, then at Ling Xingzhi. His family preferred Western food, always serving it to distinguished guests. But Ling Xingzhi preferred Chinese food; he had a Chinese palate, and it was said he had honed his culinary skills while abroad.
Anyway, Wei Luochen had never eaten his cooking. She thought it was just a rumor. How could a man who never even went near the kitchen cook?
After dinner, Ling Xingzhi and her father went to the study to talk. Her mother smiled and told her that she had bought a new outfit for the family dog and sent all the servants away before whispering to her.
“Ling Xingzhi is already thirty-five, why don’t you have a child yet? Or are you trying but can’t conceive? That last pregnancy was a natural birth, so it shouldn’t have had any impact on your uterus.”
Hearing this, Wei Luochen really wanted to smoke, but he licked his lips and resisted.
"Don't rush us. We're both adults, and he's a secretary. The child's situation is already planned. Don't worry."
Her mother handed her a glass of juice, glancing at the closed door of the study upstairs. "Have you heard about Ling Xingzhi's father? Is he going to be promoted?"
Wei Luochen shook his head. "He never talks to me about his family. I'm afraid of his father, and he knows that too."
With a sigh, she put down the juice, took off her high heels, and lay down on the sofa.
"Ling Xingzhi is a good child, he knows what's important..." the mother continued, "You need to have a child to keep him in check..."
Hearing this, Wei Luochen was furious. All he could say was "children." Was Ling Xingzhi someone who could be controlled by children? If children were that important, he would have divorced him long ago because of that.
"Mom, I haven't been back for a long time. I don't want to hear you talk about him. Tell me about yourself instead. What have you been busy with lately?"
Inside the study, Wei Luochen's father, Wei Tingyuan, poured a cup of tea and handed it to Ling Xingzhi.
“Dad, things are tense lately, especially during the military parade. They’ll definitely be promoting the aid and cooperation with Africa, and then it’ll be Chinese New Year. We can’t make any rash moves at this time, that business deal…”
The order was given but the words were left unsaid; the meaning was already conveyed, and it was up to Wei Tingyuan to decide what to do next.
“Son-in-law, if I don’t sign a contract for this deal, I might miss a great opportunity. I’m about to retire, and I don’t aspire to a promotion; I just hope to have some money for my retirement.”
“Dad, you don’t need to worry about your retirement money. Luo Chen and I can support you.”
Ling Xingzhi didn't want to help with this favor, so he approached the African government, secured a project, contracted local resources, bought them cheaply, and then resold them to the government at a higher price. The contractors were Chinese officials, and the transactions were also conducted by the Chinese government. With each transaction, the price increased tenfold, and hundreds of billions flowed into the Wei family's pockets.
"This is a big deal, and there will definitely be many people involved. As the old saying goes, it's better to share happiness than to enjoy it alone."
The subtext is that anyone involved in this project will get money.
Ling Xingzhi shook his head. "Dad, let the market decide. The government has already done a lot. Winning a project is not just about making money, but also about completing it well." Ling Xingzhi stared at his father-in-law. Things come in and go and become his. It's really... a bit annoying.
Seeing that he couldn't be persuaded no matter what he did, Wei Tingyuan became anxious: "That's strange. The resources are from Africa, the workers are from Africa, and the money is all from China. What are you worried about? Military parades are something that happen all the time. When the daughter of the leader was found to be laundering money, it happened during the Two Sessions. What was the result? Who dared to mention it? Who dared to say it? If you don't want to leave any handle on him, just be careful."
Ling Xingzhi laughed upon hearing this, "Dad, I don't care where he's from or who owns the money. He should be paid for the work he does, and besides, it's the country's tax revenue..." He looked at Wei Tingyuan, "Do you have the ability to eat such a big pie?"
After Ling Xingzhi finished speaking, he stood up. He didn't want to waste any more words. Not only would this project not help him, it would also ruin him.
As he left the study, Wei Luochen's mother came out of the room. Seeing him, she asked softly, "Luochen is asleep. Why don't you rest here tonight?"
"No, Mother, I have something to attend to, I'll be going now."
Ling Xingzhi drove home alone and returned to his apartment.
I took out "The Prince," a book I hadn't finished reading last time, from the bookshelf, brewed a cup of black tea, and steam rose under the lamp.
I light a cigarette and hold it between my fingers.
He never considered himself a Machiavellian personality—a manipulative personality: someone who manipulates others at all costs to seek personal gain.
But now it seems that he meets almost every single one of them.
However, there was one person who resembled him even more, and that was his father, Ling Qingyun.
Zhou Xiye... Her fierce and aggressive appearance suddenly flashed into his mind. Although she craved power, Ling Xingzhi stubbornly believed that Zhou Xiye would only be a dragon-slaying youth, not a dragon himself.
The cigarette swayed between my fingers, and I stared at the pages of the book for too long. When I came to my senses, the cigarette almost burned my hand.
Ling Xingzhi put the cigarette in the ashtray, closed the book, and was about to put it back when he noticed a document at the back. He remembered it. It was from his investigation of Zhou Xiye; he had seen her paper on Machiavelli's *The Prince*, discussing its viewpoints.
He pulled out an A4 sheet of paper and examined it closely.
"The Prince is utopian, characterized by the fact that the prince in the book is a purely theoretical abstraction, a symbol of a leader and an ideal leader. At the end of the book, Machiavelli himself becomes the people, merges with them, becomes their self-aware voice, and feels his own identification with them."
"Compared to *The Prince*, I prefer the Chinese *Thirty-Six Stratagems*. Theories don't change, but people do. If a monarch only seeks the people's approval, it becomes populism. Truth is never truly known to the masses; most people simply live in this world..."
Zhou Xiye's articles, like herself, are aggressive and unforgiving.
Ling Xingzhi smiled when he finished reading. Reading her words, it was as if he could hear her voice in his ears; he could even imagine her tone of voice.
The hour hand of the watch pointed to twelve o'clock.
Smooth the paper with your hand and tuck her paper into the book.
The tea under the lamp had long since gone cold. Ling Xingzhi picked up the teacup and poured it out. The lamp went out, and the room was plunged into darkness.
While Ling Xingzhi was arguing with the Wei family father and daughter, Zhou Xiye was thinking of finding an opportunity to mess with Ling Xingzhi. The old man couldn't just sleep with her for nothing; he would always have to pay the price.
After much thought, it became clear that this man had a strained relationship with his wife and was on edge with his father, so it was difficult to pinpoint his weaknesses.
His little cousin?
Although Zhou Xiye suspected that he was the kind of person who believed in love, she felt that Ling Xingzhi was just talking the talk, and that when faced with a real conflict of interest, he would be the first to abandon her to protect himself.
Therefore, the only solution is to address the political situation.
This is a bit of a dilemma. She has the Ye family behind her, but she can't reach the level of Ling Xingzhi to deal with him.
Finally, the focus is on the military parade. She can't afford any major mistakes; she needs to produce something that will give Ling Xingzhi a run for his money.
With that thought in mind, Zhou Xiye picked up the landline and made a call. The next day, a weekend, she drove towards Fragrant Hills. When she arrived, as soon as she got out of the car, soldiers carrying guns saluted her at the entrance. After registering, Zhou Xiye went inside.
General Chiang's daughter, dressed in a leather coat, stood at the door waving at her.
That's right, we should start with the general's wife. After all, it's a military parade, and the Ministry of National Defense has a lot to say about it. The general is definitely the main person in charge, and his orders have to take a backseat.
Zhou Xiye smiled sincerely, stepped forward, and took the general's daughter's hand. "Long time no see!"
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Let me share my experience regarding command and conduct.
He's thirty-five, got married at twenty-seven or twenty-eight, and his family background destined him for a meteoric rise in his career. Having children is actually quite normal for him.
I'll explain my feelings for my younger cousin later.
Putting aside Ling Xingzhi's identity, his life is actually a mess. His family and romantic relationships are all precarious, and his friendships are practically nonexistent.
Zhou Xiye is different from him. Although her family treated her badly, at least she grew up in a normal environment and knew very well what she wanted. Ling Xingzhi didn't have much in this respect. After all, in an environment with too many temptations, one can only be led by interests.
Zhou Xiye has also been with men. It's not that she didn't sleep with men when she was focused on her career. She had desires, but most of the men she met were just there to relieve those desires, without any real emotional connection.
Zhou Pei is a good person; they gave each other a home. What started as familial affection transformed into romantic love. Zhou Xiye indulged Zhou Pei; she was clear-cut and ruthless towards everyone else, but she was lenient with Zhou Pei, indulging him in everything from sex to making important life choices.
Whether it's family or love, Zhou Xiye wants Zhou Pei by his side.
Their story has only just begun (not even 100,000 words yet), no rush~
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