Chen Hua left, a sense of loss hanging in the air.
After she left, Chen Han Wen disgustedly waved away the lingering scent of perfume, but it stubbornly remained. He simply opened the window for ventilation, then called Lin Tao. After setting a time, Chen Han Wen left his office.
As he was leaving, Xu Zhong Yi approached and told him that Gu Yu Fei, on behalf of her family, had invited Chen Han Wen to visit their home, asking when he might be free.
He thought for a moment, realizing he had no dinner plans for the evening.
He told Xu Zhong Yi that he would go to the dinner with Lin Tao and invited him to come along.
After all, Xu Zhong Yi was pursuing Gu Yu Fei. It was clear as day what he was up to, and Chen Han Wen didn't mind giving his subordinate a chance.
Hearing Chen Han Wen's words, Xu Zhong Yi's face lit up like a flower.
Why was he willing to be Chen Han Wen's dog?
This was why!
Chen Han Wen never mistreated his brothers.
As for Chen Han Wen accepting the invitation, it wasn't just to hear the Gu family's gratitude. He had his eyes on the family.
The Gu family was a prominent clan in Shancheng, with abundant wealth and influential connections within the Kuomintang hierarchy. Chen Han Wen wasn't interested in their money, but he saw that the Gu family members had a knack for business. When the Nationalists retreated, he could bring the Gu family to his territory, securing a pool of talent for economic development.
He picked up Lin Tao and they went out for a drive.
Chen Han Wen had spent years in Shancheng, exploring every corner of the city and its surroundings. There was no novelty left in it.
He asked Lin Tao, "Should we leave Shancheng and explore somewhere else?"
Hearing that he wanted to travel, Lin Tao was immediately interested. "Where? Shanghai or Nanjing?"
Lin Tao knew Chen Han Wen's capabilities.
He could roam freely across the vast land of China, going wherever he pleased without facing any trouble.
Chen Han Wen pondered for a moment and said, "Shanghai is inconvenient right now. The Japanese are about to collapse and will surely go on a rampage. Who knows what kind of crazy things they'll do? It's a pointless trip. We should go to Sichuan instead. It's a good place."
"Sichuan...Alright."
Sichuan wasn't particularly appealing at the moment, but it was a new place, so exploring it wouldn't hurt. She asked Chen Han Wen, "Your relationships with those members of the Sichuan Brotherhood are good, right?"
"Decent. And Long Yun of Yunnan, we're on good terms with him too."
Chen Han Wen drove around aimlessly, telling Lin Tao, "Before the war, I moved a lot of heavy industrial clusters to Yunnan, Guizhou, and Sichuan. If it wasn't for those factories, the old man's army wouldn't even have enough bullets. And when the Sichuan and Yunnan armies went out to fight, the old man treated them differently, refusing to give them pay or supplies. Thankfully, I stepped in and saved them from a desperate situation. Otherwise, countless soldiers from Sichuan and Yunnan would have died."
Chen Han Wen's selfless generosity significantly improved the Sichuan and Yunnan armies' equipment, saving countless lives. Of course, Chiang Kai-shek was unhappy about it. But the fruits of victory in defeating the Japanese were attributed to Chiang Kai-shek. Everyone praised Chiang Kai-shek's selflessness and leadership, leaving him with no choice but to accept the reality.
Over the years, Chen Han Wen had helped Chiang Kai-shek countless times. He even "lent" the industrial clusters in Yunnan, Guizhou, and Sichuan to Chiang for military use, earning the latter's appreciation.
Saving Chiang Kai-shek's life, protecting his position, and making selfless contributions to the Kuomintang...
These actions had built an impenetrable shield around Chen Han Wen, making him untouchable.
As for Chiang Kai-shek... He believed Chen Han Wen was still angry with him and avoided him.
Even so, Chiang Kai-shek wouldn't allow anyone to speak ill of Chen Han Wen in his presence.
...
In the evening, the Gu Yu Fei family waited outside for Chen Han Wen.
Qi Si Yuan was there too.
But Xu Zhong Yi, standing next to Gu Yu Fei, irritated Qi Si Yuan. He remained silent, with a gloomy expression.
Among the members of the Military Control Commission, Qi Si Yuan was the most devoted to Chen Han Wen, even surpassing Xu Zhong Yi.
Qi Si Yuan believed that Chen Han Wen was the "perfect man" of the Kuomintang. He was loyal to his comrades, loyal to the Kuomintang, and utterly loyal to Chiang Kai-shek. But such a dedicated servant of the nation ended up in such a state. Qi Si Yuan often lamented the injustice of the Kuomintang.
This kind of blind and fervent admiration from Qi Si Yuan was a headache for Chen Han Wen.
He was a staunch and zealous supporter of the Three People's Principles. If you praised him, he would go overboard. But if you ignored him, it wouldn't be right either.
Chen Han Wen always kept his distance from people like him.
Everyone knew what a mess the Kuomintang was in.
You, Qi Si Yuan, weren't even a high-ranking member of the Kuomintang. And you were trying to single-handedly change the entire party?
Wasn't that a joke?
Upon arriving at the Gu family's doorstep, Chen Han Wen saw Qi Si Yuan standing tall like a pine tree, a headache forming in his head.
If he knew Qi Si Yuan would be here, he wouldn't have come.
Lin Tao noticed Chen Han Wen's pained expression, understanding his predicament. She said with a smile, "I know you want to avoid him, but you can't keep dodging him. You need to find a way to deal with him, whether it's killing him or exiling him. You can't have him constantly by your side."
"I know."
Chen Han Wen felt the need to find an opportunity to give Qi Si Yuan a lesson and do some ideological work. "Get out of the car. We're not talking about business."
After exiting the car, Chen Han Wen immediately saluted Qi Si Yuan, "Commander!"
"Si Yuan, hello."
Chen Han Wen patted him on the shoulder and whispered, "This is a private gathering, no business talk. I'll have something to tell you later. Come to my office then."
Hearing Chen Han Wen's words, Qi Si Yuan's entire body trembled.
His eyes immediately welled up.
He had been waiting for those words for three years.
Qi Si Yuan always saw Chen Han Wen as an idol, believing that the Kuomintang needed people like him. But what was the result?
It left Qi Si Yuan feeling helpless.
He had tried multiple times to see Chen Han Wen, only to be turned away. Now, however, Chen Han Wen had given him a chance. This filled Qi Si Yuan with renewed vigor.
He glanced at Xu Zhong Yi, who was grinning obsequiously, and scoffed.
Humph!
Why should you, Xu Zhong Yi, be Commander Chen's right-hand man?
It should be me!
Having dealt with the Qi Si Yuan problem, Chen Han Wen enjoyed the dinner, a joyous atmosphere prevailing. With Xu Zhong Yi's infectious enthusiasm, the evening was full of merriment.
By the end, Gu Yu Fei's father, Gu Tong Zhi, was completely drunk. As Chen Han Wen prepared to leave, Gu Tong Zhi held on to his hand, unable to let go. He kept saying, "It is my honor to have met Commander Chen, a rising star of the Kuomintang. Your abilities truly amaze me. If you ever need anything, please don't hesitate to ask. I will not refuse."
"Please, I am a junior. It is I who should learn from you."
Chen Han Wen had achieved his goal and told Gu Tong Zhi, "Mr. Gu, please stay. I must be going. We'll get together another time."
He then waved goodbye to Qi Si Yuan and left with Lin Tao.