NOVPUB
Chapter 1073: Chapter 944 Additional Damage
The next day.
Morning.
Under Lang Cai’s direction,
Bi Wan made moves against some individuals on the list.
However, they were all neither big nor small players, not part of Kundun’s core layer.
Arrest the big, release the small.
This was an inevitable action, Lang Cai’s goal was merely to warn Kundun, to make him restrain himself, without wanting to escalate the issue, nor did he wish to play any anti-corruption at this juncture, as it wasn’t good to stir anxiety among the people.
Seeing this situation,
Kundun’s heart skipped a beat.
A man sat in his office, chain-smoking incessantly.
Contemplating the nuances within, he wasn’t stupid; after several cigarettes, he quickly figured out the rationale and couldn’t help but sneer, "Old man, all this will ultimately be mine; what use is there in you guarding it so tightly?"
It wasn’t that Kundun was really in such a hurry.
It was that he feared he might not be able to maintain control once he assumed power.
You see, Tongcheng wasn’t just dominated by Lang Cai alone, but was composed of many factions and interest groups, spread throughout Tongcheng’s political sphere and the military, with Lang Cai being just the most powerful among them.
But not the only one.
Kundun took over Lang Cai’s position,
but that didn’t mean he could take over all of the forces behind Lang Cai. Once Lang Cai stepped down, others might switch their allegiance, and this was something Kundun had confirmed from multiple sources and was absolutely reliable.
The reason was not complicated.
It was because they felt Kundun wasn’t a leader worth following.
Currently, with Lang Cai in power,
others dared not make a move.
Kundun could only take this chance to make some subtle manipulations.
If he did nothing now and talked about ascending to power later, it would be too late. Even if he took power, given the give and take, there was only a 30 percent chance he could dominate the situation.
Kundun had no choice but to start preparing his chips in advance.
Now it seems,
he needs to restrain himself a bit.
...
Afternoon.
Kundun received news again.
Several of the Tongcheng military’s generals close to him had encountered various issues—some had their positions adjusted, others were taken away by the military police to unknown locations, and yet others were forced into early retirement.
At this point,
everyone in Kundun’s camp started to get nervous.
Evening.
"Hmm, don’t worry, no need to worry, yes, goodbye."
After hanging up the phone with Ban’s top leader, a hint of ruthlessness flashed in Kundun’s eyes. It was only now that he realized the ’collateral damage’ Lang Cai’s warning could cause.
He knew Lang Cai was warning him to restrain himself, which was a minor issue.
But others didn’t know that.
Many thought Lang Cai was becoming dissatisfied with Kundun as the successor. Bi Wan was Lang Cai’s blade, and even though it was a dull blade hitting someone, it was still an attack, and moreover, it was Lang Cai’s attack on Kundun.
Who was Kundun?
Lang Cai’s successor.
This special status made everyone ponder the deeper reasons.
Overinterpretation.
Reading into subtle cues.
Deducing logic.
Worst-case reasoning.
These were all part of their fundamental skills. Many were speculating whether Lang Cai was considering changing his successor. It wasn’t impossible; as long as Kundun hadn’t risen to power yet, there was room for change.
Moreover, after the ’interested parties’ had analyzed, it seemed somewhat reasonable.
For one, Kundun himself didn’t possess the qualifications for a successor; it was Lang Cai who had forcefully brought him up.
Secondly, Kundun’s personal abilities weren’t acknowledged by them. Speaking of individual capabilities, there were at least two people in the vice leadership stronger than Kundun, Kan Qin and Ling, which was publicly acknowledged.
Thirdly, Kundun’s achievements weren’t outstanding.
The departments he managed were the same. Just a few days ago, at the work meeting, Kan Qin had made a clear report for the second half of the year’s phase tasks, as well as many viable policies, but the plans made by Kundun’s subordinates were too conservative.
He had merely gone through the motions, putting on a boring talk show that almost lulled people to sleep.
Four,
Five,
Six,
...
It was just an afternoon and early evening.
An ’eight-point assessment’ claiming Kundun was utterly unsuitable to be the successor spread rapidly among the capital’s upper class, so swiftly and urgently that Kundun was caught off guard.
By the end, it seemed as if Lang Cai was truly ready to replace Kundun.
Kundun’s phone wouldn’t stop ringing.
They were all calling to ’tip him off,’ and at the same time trying to gauge his reaction, which infuriated Kundun to no end.
"Bang."
Kundun slapped his hand on the table.
"Who the hell is spreading these rumors?"
He was full of doubt.
Such scale and speed, with details that could be listed one by one, couldn’t be simply spontaneous.
An image flashed through Kundun’s mind.
From the perspective of maximizing interests, it could be any vice-leader, even someone from the military might be possible—after all, a military ascent to power was a hallmark of Tongcheng’s history.
Lang Cai was an example of that.
It might even be possible that Lang Cai was the instigator.
"Could it be that Lang Cai genuinely wants to remove me?" suddenly Kundun thought, and it wasn’t impossible. People tend to obsess over trifles: ’Three men make a tiger’—if enough people talk about it, it can become the truth.
At this thought, Kundun felt overwhelmed.
At this moment,
"Knock knock knock."
The door sounded.
"Come in," Kundun looked up.
It was Chong Xin, his face also marked with solemnity. Rumors, once started, spread like wildfire, and now they were pressing down like a trend that couldn’t be suppressed, unless Lang Cai made a definitive statement.
"You already know, don’t you?" Chong Xin said with a frown.
Kundun nodded, took a puff of his cigarette, and slowly exhaled: "I heard about it. Someone is spreading rumors wildly. Don’t believe them; it’s just Lang Cai’s warning to me to limit my contacts with the military personnel."
"I believe you, but will others?" Chong Xin sat across from Kundun.
Kundun said calmly, "Facts will crush the rumors."
"Aren’t you going to do something?" Chong Xin couldn’t believe that Kundun was so calm inside; he must be more anxious than him. This matter must have already reached Lang Cai’s ears, and it was risking going out of control.
"What can I do?"
Kundun truly lacked such experience.
In the past, everything had gone smoothly for him. Coming from a family of high-ranking military officers, he had always been treated with respect due to his ancestors. But now, in the face of Lang Cai’s position, who would care about his ancestry.
"Aren’t you going to talk to Lang Cai?"
"I... I’ll go tomorrow."
Kundun hesitated a bit but still felt he could not let the situation escalate on its own.
"Smart choice."
Chong Xin held back the persuasion he had prepared.
...
While Chong Xin and Kundun were talking,
Lang Cai was quietly watching TV at home, his mind full of the opinions that had suddenly started spreading since the afternoon. Although at his current position, it was hard for others to sway his thinking.
He also knew someone was preparing to spin today’s events.
The target was naturally Kundun.
Just who had started this talk, his people hadn’t been able to investigate yet. It seemed everyone had heard it from someone else. Much of it was information passed along by secretaries, without a traceable source.
It was the work of a mastermind.
Although Lang Cai disliked anyone influencing his decisions,
the rumor was indeed persuasive.
He had pushed Kundun forward to fulfill a promise, but during his time as vice-leader, Kundun had shown no significant achievements, which greatly disappointed him. The more he thought about it, the more Lang Cai began to doubt his decision from last year.
He very much disliked this feeling.
