On Saturday afternoon, one day had passed since Kong Zhenghui was arrested, but there was still no news from the garrison. During this day, An Qiqi ran around and was very busy with this matter.
After much discussion and a night of thinking, An Qiqi had a nearly complete plan in mind, so he took the initiative to contact Tan Mingchao.
On the street next to the An family villa, in a very cozy cafe, An Qiqi sat at a table by the window, drinking a drink and fiddling with her laptop.
She deliberately changed out of her military uniform today, wearing a white shirt on the upper body and slim jeans on the lower body. Her pretty face was bare without any makeup.
“Squeak!”
There was a sound of brakes outside. An Qiqi turned her head and saw three or four military vehicles parked outside.
Soon, Tan Mingchao came down with several guards.
An Qiqi waved outside through the window.
Tan Mingchao nodded at her and walked into the cafe with several guards.
“Dang!”
The wind chimes hanging on the door made a pleasant sound. Tan Mingchao walked to the dining table and said with a smile, "You are dressed very casually today."
"What's the point of relaxing?" An Qiqi sighed, "Ah, work has exhausted me. The case of Lu Guangwei and Kong Zhenghui has made me anxious. You see, on my days off, I have to play with the computer here."
Tan Mingchao pulled out a chair and sat down, looking at her and asked, "What's the situation now? Did they ask you to come and meet with me?"
"Yes!" An Qiqi nodded gently: "If you let Su Tianyu come to talk to you, won't the discussion become more and more tense? Everyone has their own stance, and it's difficult for them to back down."
“That’s right…!” Tan Mingchao nodded slightly.
"Sir, what would you like to order?"
As they were talking, the waiter came over with the drink menu, and Tan Mingchao casually ordered an Americano.
"I recommend the raw coconut latte here, it tastes good." The tone of An Qiqi's voice today and the environment she chose to meet in gave people a very relaxed feeling, unlike the confrontational tone in previous communications.
"That's fine, let's have the same one as hers." Tan Mingchao returned the drink list to the waiter.
"Okay, please wait." The waiter turned and walked towards the bar.
After he left, An Qiqi gently closed the computer and said seriously, "This matter has nothing to do with the administrative faction now. I am here today on behalf of the An family and Yu Mingyuan to negotiate this matter with you. I will do my best to help you maneuver and strive to achieve a balance so that everyone can resolve this issue peacefully."
Hearing this, Tan Mingchao smiled and said, "Su Tianyu is lucky to know you."
An Qiqi rolled her eyes at Tan Mingchao and said, "Go away, stop talking nonsense, let's get down to business."
Tan Mingchao nodded, his body relaxed but his tone serious: "Okay, then tell me what you think."
An Qiqi said seriously: "First, Kong Zhenghui must be released first, because he is the core of the conflict, and it will not work if he is not released. Then as for Lu Guangwei, I will save his life."
Tan Mingchao asked: "How can you protect it?"
An Qiqi said: "I will tell Jiang Zheng about this when we meet. Don't worry, I will come up with a plan that satisfies everyone. But not now. You also understand that Lu Guangwei's case is at the cusp of the storm. Countless eyes are staring at him and at us. We definitely can't just let him go."
While the two were talking, the waiter came over and gently placed the drinks on the table.
Tan Mingchao had been listening attentively to An Qiqi's words. He seemed a little hesitant, and said while stroking his chin, "In that case..."
"You know it well." An Qiqi interrupted, "This is the biggest condition and bargaining chip I can get. You can't think that you want to save his life and release him in a short time. This is impossible, and the administrative faction can't slap itself in the face. Lu Guangwei must be detained now to give the public an explanation! As of now, there is no suspect higher than him in the drug case. Do you understand what I mean?"
Tan Mingchao held the cup and sat there thinking for a long time before he slowly nodded and said, "This is indeed the only way."
An Qiqi continued, "Just for these conditions, I have to work with Su Tianyu for a long time. I believe you can see the effort I have put into this matter. If this doesn't work, then a peaceful solution is definitely impossible."
Thinking of the worst possibility, Tan Mingchao frowned slightly: "Ok, I know what you mean. You also know me, and I don't want things to develop to that point."
As a soldier and the future helmsman of the garrison, Tan Mingchao was once young and vigorous, not afraid of any war. But as he grew older, coupled with the tragic situation after a war in Shengbao City... He did not become less courageous, but began to fear war, and did not want Longcheng to become like that.
The matter was almost settled. An Qiqi looked a little more relaxed and took a sip of her drink: "Then you can make an appointment with Jiang Zheng. We will find a place to negotiate tomorrow and resolve this matter as soon as possible."
Tan Mingchao nodded and said, "Then let's talk at the garrison."
An Qiqi waved her hand: "My identity makes it a little sensitive to go to the garrison. Let's stay in the city. You pick a place."
"Okay, I'll go find him now." Tan Mingchao stood up and said seriously, "Thank you for your hard work."
"You're welcome." An Qiqi smiled and stood up and said, "By the way, how are you and Baby doing? We can't just have dinner and watch a movie. When will it be confirmed?"
Tan Mingchao laughed and did not answer the question.
An Qiqi naturally guessed the reason and said jokingly, "Be a man and be more decisive. You are already over 30 years old, and you still have to look at your parents' faces and breathe every day?"
Tan Mingchao knew what this meant, and nodded with a smile, saying, "Oh, Wawa and I are very stable. Besides... she is the one who sets the pace."
"Haha, alright."
The two of them stopped talking about this matter and Tan Mingchao left the cafe quickly.
After seeing the military vehicles outside leave, An Qiqi put away her smile and her face became a little solemn. She packed up her things and left.
…
Ten minutes later, An Qiqi sat in the business car, one hand gently supporting her chin, as if thinking about something.
The street scene outside the window kept receding, but she had no intention of appreciating it.
The driver glanced at the rearview mirror and suddenly said, "Do we need to make any preparations here?"
An Qiqi thought for a moment, turned her head and said to him: "Let's do as we agreed before."
"Okay." The driver nodded slightly and said no more.