Chapter 446: Household Affairs

However, he soon discovered a problem. Rifles were much heavier than other trade goods. A single rifle, including ammunition and packaging, would weigh at least five or six kilograms. If the price after transporting it over such a long distance wasn’t as high as imagined, it wouldn’t even cover the shipping costs.

“I need to have the intelligence center look up European weapon prices,” Liu Xiang thought.

Liu Xiang had already switched into Central Planning Committee mode… He had been preparing for Guangzhou’s development for so long and naturally had a plan in mind. But under the current climate of full appropriation and direct central management, it was hard to say how well his plans would align with those of the Planning Commission, or how much flexibility he would be left with. To make his plan more persuasive and to have more bargaining power when wrangling with the Planning Commission and the State Council, Liu Xiang needed more “evidence.”

As he was busy with this, his guard came to report: Speaker Qian had sent someone to invite him for “afternoon tea.”

Qian Shuiting must have returned sometime late yesterday. In any case, when Liu Xiang arrived on the Feiyun, Qian’s eyes were still a bit dark-ringed, and he seemed preoccupied.

“What happened yesterday? Was it that serious? A joint meeting was even required?” Liu Xiang took a scone from the three-tiered tea stand, spread some cream on it, and popped it into his mouth.

“It’s about the household affairs of the Senators. And both involve life-secretaries,” Qian Shuiting said, vexed. “One committed suicide, and the other involves a second-generation Senator…”

“Wait? Are you saying there’s been another incident with a life-secretary?” Liu Xiang said in surprise.

Although life-secretaries were not Senators, they were the ones who shared their beds, and their significance was incomparable to that of ordinary naturalized citizens. The Yang Jihong case had caused a huge storm back then, with all sorts of people jumping out to feast on the bloody affair. That matter had only just been settled, and there were still many suspicious points. Now, another suicide case had emerged!

“A suicide case. Is it confirmed?”

“Yes,” Qian Shuiting nodded. “A suicide note was left. The preliminary crime scene investigation has more or less confirmed it. The matter is a bit complicated and wouldn’t be good if it leaked. Medical Examiner Su is performing the autopsy, and even my wife has been called in to consult on some details… I won’t say more here. The Executive Committee has already issued a gag order. Just wait for the official report.”

Liu Xiang nodded. He figured this matter probably tarnished the image of the Senators somewhat.

“Then what’s this about the second-generation Senator you mentioned…”

“Do you remember Zhang Yunmi, who came to our house yesterday?”

“I remember. A very beautiful girl.” Not only did he remember, Liu Xiang even had some thoughts about her…

“It’s about her family. Her father’s life-secretary is beating her child.”

Liu Xiang was startled. That was courting death! He immediately realized Speaker Qian was talking about the child born to the life-secretary. Zhang Yunmi was “first-generation,” commonly known as a “Junior Senator.” Whether the second generation could become Senators was still an unknown.

“Beating the child? What happened?”

“Didn’t her father have a son and a daughter after marrying the life-secretary? The older girl is in kindergarten. The kindergarten teacher noticed something was off with the girl, and upon closer inspection, found marks of being beaten…” As he spoke, Qian Shuiting took a long drag on his cigar, exhaled sharply, and then continued, “She was whipped with something. It was all bruised.”

“That’s outrageous! Child abuse!”

Qian Shuiting shook his head. “It’s not that simple. That silly girl, when asked, said Zhang Yunmi hit her. But Zhang Yunmi basically lives at school and has no opportunity to do so. Later, a few of the older ladies and Headmaster Qian coaxed the child, and she finally confessed. It was Old Zhang’s life-secretary who beat her, and she even coached the child to say it was her older sister if anyone asked…”

“This…” Liu Xiang was completely speechless. Was there a more direct way to seek death?

“Is this really her biological mother? Old Zhang only has one life-secretary, right?” Liu Xiang took a large gulp of iced kvass to calm himself down, then asked, “The expanded meeting was to discuss this? How was it handled?”

Liu Xiang thought about it. A Senator, a life-secretary, a son and daughter, and the eldest daughter from a previous wife. A little imagination was enough to conjure up a grand drama. The Executive Committee was in for a headache.

“What a wretched kid!” He muttered a phrase in his dialect while lost in thought, unsure if he was lamenting for Zhang Yunmi or the little girl who was beaten.

“The doctor examined her and said there were no major issues,” Qian Shuiting said with a sigh. “At first, we were afraid Old Zhang had instigated it. After all, not everyone is open about their patriarchal views. We sent someone to notify him, and Old Zhang rushed over to see his daughter immediately. It seems he was genuinely unaware.”

“The General Office interrogated Old Zhang’s life-secretary separately. She said the girl knocked her brother over, and she lost her temper and whipped her on impulse.”

“She’s gone too far! A life-secretary daring to beat a second-generation!” Liu Xiang was indignant. “How can a servant beat a master? She should be taken out and hanged!”

Qian Shuiting shook his head. “The General Office’s recommendation is to dismiss her from public service and send her to a labor camp. And then find Old Zhang another life-secretary.”

“That’s not bad.”

Qian Shuiting sighed. “But Old Zhang insists on letting it go, saying he’ll take the life-secretary back and deal with her by ‘family law.’ So we can’t really say much.” Shaking his head, Qian Shuiting continued, “He left with his family, and we stayed behind for a half-day meeting. It looks like we’re going to need a ‘Juvenile Protection Law.’”

Liu Xiang frowned upon hearing this, feeling there were many suspicious points. She lost her temper and whipped the child on impulse, and the kid didn’t cry or make a fuss? Didn’t the mother think of taking her to the hospital for treatment? According to Qian Shuiting, the welts were so thick that even wearing clothes would be painful! And why coach the child to frame her sister who lived at school year-round? But… Old Zhang advocated for settling the matter quietly…

The youthful and vibrant image of Zhang Yunmi suddenly appeared in Liu Xiang’s mind…

“I can understand Old Zhang’s thinking, but it’s too much of a commoner’s mindset,” Liu Xiang couldn’t help but complain. “He’s probably thinking that no matter what, it’s better than having all three children raised by a stepmother… He didn’t think about the fact that he’s a Senator…”

“Who says otherwise?” Qian Shuiting shook his head and took a sip of his tea. “The General Office is drafting a document now, to see if we can come up with a new measure to prevent such incidents…”

“Ahem! We must get the tone right. Don’t turn it into a ‘Juvenile Offender Protection Law’.”

“Hehe, how could we? It’s the ‘Regulations for the Protection of the Children of Senators’,” Qian Shuiting said with a subtle smile. “One of the great benefits of the new world is that we don’t have to be so schizophrenic.” He changed the subject. “So, your Guangzhou appointment has come through, right?”

“It’s about to be publicly announced.”

“So Proprietor Guo is coming back.”

“Yes,” Liu Xiang nodded. “His return is certain.”

A complex look appeared in Qian Shuiting’s eyes. Guo Yi’s ability was undeniable, as was his status within the “Guangzhou-Leizhou Faction.” Qian Shuiting had tried to win Guo Yi over multiple times through various channels. Unfortunately, Guo Yi firmly practiced the line of “support whoever is on the podium” and kept his distance from the Zhai Party’s crowd.

“The original Guangzhou leadership team will also be adjusted?”

“That’s for sure,” Liu Xiang said. “But the Organization Department also said it’s not absolutely necessary to transfer them all back.”

“Transferring them all back wouldn’t be good for you either. Without people familiar with the local situation, taking over the government would be very troublesome. I mean, when the People’s Liberation Army took over major cities, they also had to rely on the help of the underground party.”

“Naturally,” Liu Xiang immediately understood his meaning. “When I go to be the mayor of Guangzhou, I will certainly have to rely on the comrades from the Guangzhou Station.”

Qian Shuiting then began to talk about the Zhai Party’s plans, his words clearly indicating an intention to bring Liu Xiang into the party’s core. Liu Xiang’s heart stirred at this. Although this was the only party that had openly and brazenly formed, and its goals were too abstract, it had many “friends outside the party,” especially among the ordinary Senators, where its support was high. Becoming a core member could grant him more political capital.

However, the Zhai Party’s action plan lacked a long-term strategy. What kind of political system did they want to establish? How could they achieve efficient decision-making while limiting the power of the Nine Elders? For so many years, the Zhai Party had not provided a clear vision on these issues.

On the other hand, would the Zhai Senators who had taken on leadership positions with the party’s support and encouragement, after tasting the power of “having authority in hand,” continue to endorse the Zhai Party’s platform of limiting strong leadership? He didn’t need to look at others; he himself had deep experience with this. And then there was his deputy. When he first arrived in Qiongshan, “livestock” was his synonym for the Executive Committee members. Recently, he had changed it to “a certain Executive Committee member.” He still used the word “livestock,” but now applied it to a few of the more famous opposition leaders in the Senate.

Don’t let it end up like the Japanese Communist Party in the original timeline, which wholeheartedly supported the “proletariat” in improving their lives, only for these people, once they escaped “proletarian” status, to sit squarely on the toilet of the bourgeoisie and turn around to oppose the Japanese Communist Party that had once helped them…

He considered it for a moment and decided to probe a little first.

The host and guest had a pleasant conversation, and the topic gradually deepened. Liu Xiang very clearly asked Qian Shuiting for the Feiyun Society’s platform and line, just short of explicitly asking for a “Feiyun Society Manifesto.” But Qian Shuiting still only repeatedly emphasized “strengthening the status of the Senate, and establishing a system of separation of powers, checks and balances, mobility, and transparency within the group.” But as for the specifics of how to separate powers and how to check them, Qian Shuiting couldn’t produce anything concrete: “Anyway, we’ll just follow the model of the separation of three powers.” Liu Xiang could only remain silent in his heart—this was still a bit different from his own ideas.

“Old Qian, in the long run, for the five hundred powerful families, the most suitable threshold for those who will take the stage to grasp political power will inevitably be the rule by lawyers. With rule by lawyers, as long as one is skilled in debate and incitement, has connections and background, and can handle the ‘broad masses of the people,’ various think tanks will naturally help come up with specific administrative measures. To implement a rule by top scholars or a rule by engineers like in the original timeline would be too demanding for our descendants and not universally applicable,” Liu Xiang took a sip of wine and spoke with a serious expression. “But—”