Chapter 416: The Opening Bid

Qian Shuiting stepped down from the carriage. On the pier, Qian Xuanhuang was already waiting respectfully.

In the years she had been nourished by the Qian family’s care, Qian Xuanhuang was no longer the dark, scrawny girl she once was. She had blossomed into a graceful young woman. The maid’s uniform, which had once seemed so ill-fitting, now suited her perfectly.

“Master, you’ve returned.” Qian Xuanhuang stepped forward, taking his briefcase with a clean, efficient motion.

“Has the mistress returned?”

“The mistress called. She has an unexpected night shift. She won’t be back until tomorrow.”

Qian Shuiting frowned. It seemed the discord from the Ogura incident had not yet passed. Though both parents were worried for their child’s safety, their perspectives were different. Aibeibei had often complained that their daughter, Duoduo, encouraged and indulged by her father, had become “too wild.” Whether it was shooting, hunting, hiking, or her recent obsession with sailing a small boat, they were all high-risk activities. Although they were now exalted “Elders,” the medical conditions of this era were primitive. If an accident were to happen, the resources of the Lingao General Hospital were pitifully inadequate.

Well, it was just as well she wasn’t home, he thought. It would save him the awkwardness of talking with his “master” later. Aibeibei was not keen on his political activities.

“Dinner will be served on the upper deck,” he said, pausing. “Has Director Zhou arrived?”

“I just called his maid to confirm,” Qian Xuanhuang said. “She said Director Zhou will definitely be here, around seven o’clock.”

Qian Shuiting returned to his boat and took a long, refreshing shower. A rustic solar water heater had been installed on the yacht, finally solving the problem of hot water for bathing.

After his shower, clad in beach shorts and a short-sleeved linen shirt, Qian Shuiting went up to the deck, a glass of “whiskey on the rocks,” prepared by Qian Xuanhuang, in hand. Under the sun-faded awning, she had already set up a folding table, upon which sat a large bowl of green salad and a platter of tropical fruit.

Seated in a rattan chair, Qian Shuiting slowly sipped his blended whiskey, gazing out at the endless blue sea. The weather was exceptionally fine today. How wonderful it would be to spend a day on the beach with his wife and child! But he was swamped with work, spending more than ten hours a day in meetings and reading documents. His wife practically lived at the hospital. His daughter boarded at school. The family was scattered across three different places, rarely gathering together more than a few times a year. Back in the States, he used to take his daughter out driving, shooting, and hunting in his spare time. Now, such things had become a luxury…

As he was lost in thought, Zhou Weisen arrived. Since Qian Shuixie and Zhou Weisen had joined the Special Reconnaissance Team, the three core members of the North American Gang had rarely had the chance to meet. Zhou Weisen was back in Lingao on a rotation, just in time for the “Sun Umbrella” affair. Qian Shuiting had decided to talk with his “master” before taking his next step.

Qian Xuanhuang brought Zhou Weisen a towel, then poured him the same “whiskey on the rocks.”

“Xuanhuang, you may serve the food.”

The meal was simple, light fare for the summer heat: cucumber soup, lemongrass grilled fish, and finally, homemade ice cream. Such things were no longer a big deal.

Only after Qian Xuanhuang had cleared the plates and poured the after-dinner drinks did Qian Shuiting get to the point.

He recounted the situation with the “Sun Umbrella” case, the investigation report, and today’s meeting.

Zhou Weisen listened silently, sipping his drink. Finally, he spoke. “Your speech at the Executive Committee meeting today… don’t you think it was a bit too aggressive? The Political Security Bureau is the apple of their eye…”

“Duoduo is the apple of my eye. It’s an equal exchange,” Qian Shuiting said with a subtle smile. “I thought my words were quite appropriate.”

“If you ask me, it lacked a politician’s grace…”

Qian Shuiting nodded slightly. “If we were facing an electorate of millions, today would have been reckless. But there are only five hundred people with the right to vote. Five hundred people is a small circle, a typical society of acquaintances.”

He took out a cigarette case and matches, waving away Qian Xuanhuang who was about to light it for him. He struck a match himself, lit a Corojo cigar, took a deep puff, and blew a smoke ring before continuing.

“The five hundred Elders are a small circle. Now that this has happened, and my, Old Qian’s, daughter was almost killed, what would the average, passive Elder think if I did nothing?”

Zhou Weisen looked thoughtful.

“‘His daughter was almost killed, and he doesn’t dare to make a peep. Is he even a man? So afraid of the establishment, can he really stand up for the common Elder?’ Or, ‘His daughter was almost killed, and he shows no reaction. He must be using this as a bargaining chip with the Executive Committee. He’d trade his own daughter. How sinister!’”

Qian Shuiting brandished his thick cigar. “Now, Speaker Qian rages at the meeting, even making the impossible proposal to disband the Political Security Bureau. What do the Elders think now? ‘He’s got guts, a real man! But a gentleman can be deceived by appealing to his principles. We can work with him. When the time is right, he might be useful to us.’ Or, ‘He’s got guts, a real man! Following a guy like that, you won’t get a raw deal.’”

“I see your point. Sometimes, acting a bit rashly shows genuine character,” Zhou Weisen said. “Besides, Duoduo is your daughter. A strong reaction is appropriate. Being too calm would seem cold-blooded.”

“Exactly, master. Was George W. Bush really stupid? I don’t think so,” Qian Shuiting said. “He was beloved by the rednecks. Because he had none of that cold, hypocritical ‘aristocratic air’ of the New England elite, even though his family is a political dynasty…”

A president from a political family that had consciously mixed its bloodline with Latino heritage decades ago was clearly more intelligent than the common folk who compared his face to an ape’s.

“Everyone knows the Political Security Bureau can’t be disbanded. My proposal to disband it and expand police power was just me talking nonsense. If police power expands any further, they’ll become the Soviet NKVD. This just puts some pressure on them. Anyway, I have every reason to fly off the handle, to misspeak,” Qian Shuiting said. “The guys on the Executive Committee are all thinking about preserving their authority, and the Political Security Bureau is their best tool. I’ve made my position clear. Now they’ll have to think carefully.”

“Alright, what’s your next move?”

“The next step, of course, is to raise a formal inquiry in the Standing Committee and push our agenda.”

When the Otaku Party was first formed, it kept its political platform vague in order to build a “united front.” The general idea was “to establish a system of separation of powers, checks and balances, fluidity, and transparency within the collective.”

This principle was broad, but it could encompass anything. Deep down, the core members of the Otaku Party believed the Executive Committee system was “incorrect,” a shift from individual dictatorship to a small-group dictatorship. The mass of Elders was clearly excluded from this small collective, far from the core of power.

“What’s the specific plan? Should we try to get the investigation report rejected in the Standing Committee first?”

“No, if we reject the report, we’ll have no grounds to investigate the Political Security Bureau. We have to let the report pass. Otherwise, we’ll get stuck in a bizarre cycle of investigation-rejection-reinvestigation. If it drags on too long, the public attention will fade, and we’ll lose our chance,” Qian Shuiting said. “Our demands should be: establish an agency similar to the Political Security Bureau to strengthen oversight, require the recording and limited disclosure of the decision-making processes of the Bureau and other administrative departments, disrupt the Bureau’s existing management structure by planting our own people inside, strengthen supervision and checks and balances, and implement regular rotation of key leadership positions and locations to prevent the emergence of an independent kingdom, an intelligence czar. We especially need to remind the Elders of historical figures like Beria and Himmler.”

“And Hoover.”

“Yes, and Hoover,” Qian Shuiting nodded.

“But we’ve raised these points on many occasions with little effect,” Zhou Weisen said with a frown. “Although we can ride the momentum of the ‘Sun Umbrella’ case this time, the overall political winds are unlikely to change much. Besides, for the average Elder, the Political Security Bureau doesn’t affect them that directly. For them, the most serious problem is the VIP protection system of the Garrison Battalion.”

“That’s why we need to give them something more potent,” Qian Shuiting said. “Did you know the Political Security Bureau is collecting black material on the Elders?”

“I’ve heard you say that. But there’s no proof.”

“I’m certain they’re doing it,” Qian Shuiting said. “We’ll raise it in the general assembly: ‘It is rumored that the Political Security Bureau is systematically collecting material on the Elders and conducting surveillance on them.’ We’ll make a big deal out of it, form a special committee, and turn the Political Security Bureau inside out. We’ll blow the issue wide open in the Senate. As long as the Senate authorizes an inspection, it doesn’t matter if we find anything or not. Setting the precedent is enough to pierce their protective veil. After that, whether it’s supervising their operations or planting our people, it will all become easier. And if we do find some crucial evidence, we’ll have every justification to demand a complete overhaul, to demand that the new agency be placed directly under the control of the Senate.”

“The problem is, is it appropriate for us to raise such an unsubstantiated claim so rashly?” Zhou Weisen felt this was venturing into the territory of baseless speculation.

“Someone will be willing to do it. As long as we put the idea out there, someone will be willing to step forward.” Qian Shuiting took a puff of his cigar and leaned back comfortably in his chair. “‘To be ignored is worse than death.’ For many people, attention and exposure are very important…”

Zhou Weisen nodded. He knew who Qian Shuiting was talking about. He thought for a moment and said, “I think we should still use this opportunity to grab control of personnel and finances. We should use this momentum to set some conditions with the Executive Committee. They want to protect their precious daughter, the Political Security Bureau? Fine. We’ll name our price.”