Chapter Nine: Three People Conspire

Zhang Zhifei rubbed his hands together, his expression somewhat excited: "This time we are going to do something big"

I remain in the city, unable to do anything, and there is no one I can trust. Zhang Zhixing patted his cousin Zhang Zhi Fei on the shoulder, saying, At least here, you can help me

"Not surprising at all?" Zhang Zhifei glanced at Zhang Ke with a hint of astonishment on his face. This time, his nephew truly caught his attention. Not to mention the unparalleled calmness and maturity he displayed during this crisis, even his indifference to material temptations is commendable.

Zhang Ke curled his lips, looking at the oversized mobile phone that he could barely hold in one hand. He thought to himself: in three years, it will only be useful as a brick to throw at someone. He casually tossed the mobile phone onto the dashboard and laughed, "Not worth my attention"

Zhang Ke, seeing that his uncle did not respond, also fell silent and said nothing further. He did not expect him to be moved at this moment; bringing it up now was merely to deepen his impression.

Zhang Zhifei's gaze shifted and softened. Zhang Zhixing did not follow him out; he thought that Zhifei was indeed hurrying back to the county town to handle some urgent matter

I think this is how it should be: Dad will write a note for me to take over, to help clarify the issue for Uncle Tang. Even if Tang Jing's mother still cannot find peace of mind, at least she will be able to remain calmer

Zhang Ke observed his uncle's demeanor and interjected with skepticism: "Is it really that easy? Ding Xiangshan is the local tyrant of Haizhou. He can easily impose a charge of corruption and bribery on Uncle Tang, crushing us as effortlessly as squashing three ants. Our greatest advantage is that Ding Xiangshan is certainly unaware of our existence. We have only one chance, and that chance must be used to completely defeat him"

Zhang Ke pouted, essentially resembling his father, both being rather stubborn individuals. Before the pause in his life, after graduating from university, his uncle had asked him to assist at a construction company, even hoping he would inherit that relatively well-sized firm. Ultimately, Zhang Ke chose to join Longyu Group, and his career was quite smooth. Before the accident, he had become the manager of a branch company, which could be considered a sign of youthful success. This inexplicable return to 1994 might be a case of God misfiring, with his focus limited to a small construction company, which is truly disappointing to God.

With Zhang Ke's work experience of seven to eight years at Longyu Group, returning to 1994, the most convenient way to make his first fortune would be to engage in the distribution of electronic products

If there are leaders in the province who can fairly insist on thoroughly investigating the issues with Xinfeng Group and can clarify the problems, otherwise, relying on just a few of us to collect evidence in secret will likely be very difficult..." Zhang Ke had to remind his father, "Didn’t Dad just say that Uncle Tang might have already discovered some issues? Now we cannot speak to Uncle Tang. If we could know what Uncle Tang has found, we could follow the clues he has discovered, which would be more convenient. Dad, do you think Uncle Tang's family might have what we need?" Dad just mentioned that Uncle Tang might have already discovered some issues, and now we cannot speak to him. If we could know what Uncle Tang has found, we could follow the clues he has discovered, which would be more convenient. Dad, do you think Uncle Tang's family might have what we need? Finding things here would make it more persuasive to seek justice from the province, even if we do not have the ability to investigate further...

Zhang Ke shot a glance at his uncle, noting that meticulous thinking is a result of life experience. Often, when considerations are not thorough, it is due to a lack of experience, rather than being closely related to one's intellect.

Zhang Zhixing did not decline either; at this moment, he could not afford to miss any phone call. He called his wife to inform her of the number, ensuring convenient and timely communication

Xiao Ke is quite thoughtful, Zhang Zhifei couldn't help but praise, "I heard that you ranked third in the Zhongkao in Xicheng District, your intelligence is no joke..."

Zhang Ke saw his uncle Zhang Zhiwei hearing his younger uncle say that he needed to rush back to the county town at night, and he had already revealed his displeasure on his face: "Is it really such an urgent matter that you must go in person?"

In the car, Zhang Ke, feeling bored, picked up his uncle's large mobile phone. He admired this first-generation analog signal phone as if he were handling an artifact.

Most of the relatives back home are already aware of Tang Xueqian being isolated for investigation. Zhang Ke is staying in the guest room with his father, and no one has come to disturb them, allowing for some peace and quiet. Grandma came over to chat for a while and then went to attend to the arrangements for tomorrow's funeral

Although the arrangements have been made, we cannot set off immediately. If we have a car, it only takes a little over an hour to return to the city from the old residence, so there is no need to worry about whether we will make it in time. Moreover, with the passing of Uncle, it is not so easy for my younger uncle, as the youngest son, to free himself.

Oh... Zhang Zhifei, seeing Zhang Ke's thorough analysis, exclaimed, "You really shouldn't underestimate this kid; you have the potential to achieve great things. Hurry up and graduate from university, help your dad, or help me. Otherwise, there's no need to attend university; you could finish a vocational school and come out four years earlier..."

Zhang Zhifei asked, "I thought Second Brother returned to avoid the trouble, but it turns out he has other plans. Why doesn't Second Brother stay in the city?"

Zhang Ke could see his father's hesitation, but apart from himself, there was no one more suitable for this matter. He said, "I just remembered something. If Tang Jing's mother finds out that Uncle Tang has a woman outside, will she be very agitated? What if she throws a fit and becomes indifferent to Uncle Tang's affairs? What should we do? We can't let her know about the photos; women are always untrustworthy. If she rushes to clear Uncle Tang's name, it might backfire and make things worse..."

"Ye Xinming is unreliable," Zhang Ke wanted to establish an image of a precocious youth in front of his uncle, so that it would be easier to ask him for favors in the future. He hurriedly said, "Perhaps Tang Xueqian discovered the issues with Xinfeng Group, or it was Ye Xinming who tipped off Ding Xiangshan... Also, Dad, you cannot go. Who knows if anyone is monitoring around Uncle Tang's house? If Dad comes to pay respects to Uncle and then quietly returns to the city, what consequences will that have for Ding Xiangshan? ... Also, Dad, you cannot go. Who knows if anyone is monitoring around Uncle Tang's house? If Dad comes to pay respects to Uncle and then quietly returns to the city, what consequences will that have for Ding Xiangshan? Let my uncle take me there; my goal is small. Besides, if others see me, I will just say I stayed in the city with my mother..."

If we can obtain the distribution agency for Ericsson mobile phones in Haizhou, we will be able to make a significant profit next year by capitalizing on the hot sales of the model 398. Ericsson's office in the country was just upgraded from a representative office to a branch in 1994, and there is currently no dedicated distributor in Haizhou

Zhang Zhifei has always been involved in architecture, but he is not familiar with concepts like digital networks or simulators. When he heard Zhang Ke speak earnestly about these topics, he merely smiled and did not take it seriously

Uncle Tang's suspicious gaze circled around my father and my uncle. Zhang Ke tilted his head and asked, "What is it? Is it so urgent that you can't stay and play cards with my father?" Uncle had been ill for a long time, and his passing would hardly evoke much sorrow; keeping vigil was merely a way to pass the time with card games.

Now is not the time to discuss trivial matters. Xiao Ke is absolutely right; we can only gather evidence in secret. We have only one chance to strike, and we must at least obtain evidence of Tang Xueqian's innocence. With just these few photos in our possession, we cannot prove anything

Father is an only child. Cousin Zhang Zhiwei and Uncle Zhang Zhifei are biological brothers, but there has been a rift between Uncle and Cousin since childhood, and they are not as close as Father is with them

Zhang Zhixing, reminded by his son, suddenly recalled something. "Tang Xueqian always carries his work log with him, but he has a habit of jotting down his thoughts haphazardly. The things he writes down are not discarded immediately; after a while, he organizes his work ideas and takes out these drafts. Perhaps we can find some clues at his home," Zhang Zhixing said, patting his thigh. "Zhi Fei, take me back to the city tonight. Maybe Ye Xinming will think of this as well. We need to act quickly..."

After dinner, Zhang Ke first walked out of the courtyard. He was an inconspicuous person, not within the adults' line of sight; whether he was there or not, no one cared. When his uncle's car arrived, he quickly jumped in, mentioning something about Dongshe County. The car drove north on the Nanjiao Highway for six or seven kilometers before turning left onto the Shijiang Highway, heading straight for the city

Second brother, take this for convenience, you cannot always stay by the telephone...

After a long wait, dinner was finally served. After the meal, there is a custom in Haizhou to keep vigil for the deceased. At the dinner table, Zhang Zhifei made an excuse, saying that there was an urgent matter at the company and he needed to return to the county town that night to handle it

Isn't Ye Xinming the secretary of Tang Xueqian?" Zhang Zhifei asked curiously

The inspection team has not yet found any evidence against Xu Si, so the rumors have not spread widely. During lunch, my uncle stepped out for a moment and returned, handing my father a new MOTO mobile phone.

After having lunch, Zhang Zhixing made a phone call to his wife who stayed in the city, and there were no significant changes in the city

Zhang Ke could guess what his uncle was concerned about. If hetushucom.com announced a severance of relations, he would wish he could cut ties with his father right now. He thought to himself that as soon as he and his father returned to the old residence, they had spent half a day huddled in the small building with his younger uncle discussing matters. He wondered what his uncle might be thinking.

Zhang Zhixing thought for a moment and realized that there was no more suitable person. He patted his son Zhang Ke on the head and instructed, "Be more astute in dealing with matters..."

After the launch of the digital network, the first Chinese digital mobile phone was Ericsson's GH398, which was released in 1995, pioneering the bar phone design. Although its length of 13 centimeters and thickness of 2.3 centimeters seemed quite bulky in Zhang Ke's eyes, for those using large mobile phones in 1994 and 1995, the slender figure of the Ericsson 398 was incredibly appealing

Zhang Zhixing was hesitant; if there were indeed surveillance around Tang Xueqian's home, then going to Tang Xueqian's house would be a very dangerous matter

Zhang Ke noticed his uncle giving him a knowing glance, which was a compliment for his cleverness. Seizing the opportunity while his cousin was not paying attention, he smiled with satisfaction.

***

What is there to be rare about? The digital network has already begun trial operations. The simulated signal machine is merely an obsolete product. There is no need to wait for my high school graduation; this thing will become outdated next year. It can only scare those naive country folks who have never seen the world. Giving it to Zhang Yi might still make him happy for a while, but as for me, I will pass

How about this, when you graduate from high school, I will buy you one as well

"Xiao Ke is quite skilled with women, isn't he?" Zhang Zhi Fei said with a smile as he patted Zhang Ke's head. He had admired his cousin Zhang Zhi Xing's intellect since childhood. Seeing Zhang Ke analyze things so clearly, he simply thought that their family had good genetics and education, producing talented individuals, and was not particularly surprised.

In the second half of the year, Haizhou Digital Network will officially commence operations, and this bulky mobile phone is a product that has become obsolete