Qi Tongwei: Sign-in relationship started during student days

Chapter 981 Each with their own hidden agendas

The arrangements for the get-together went very smoothly. Qi Tongwei sent someone in the morning, and the matter was finalized in less than half an hour.

The time was set for that evening.

The reason things went so smoothly was entirely because Doihara Jiro also showed a strong interest in Qi Tongwei.

Eight or nine days ago, at a banquet in Alfred, Germany, Qi Tongwei’s outstanding performance won the applause of the Germans and also attracted their attention.

At the time, he simply admired the young man's courage.

Unexpectedly, the next day, after the other party spoke with Alfred...

Alfred, who was originally supposed to be investing in a branch factory in Japan, hesitated and said he needed to reconsider.

He knew then that something big had happened.

The young man defeated him.

Therefore, Doihara ordered an investigation into Qi Tongwei.

When the feedback told him that Qi Tongwei was the youngest mayor in Hanjiang and even in the entire China, a cadre at the level of a department director.

He even changed the purpose of his trip, adding an important task to his European tour.

Make friends with the other party.

This friendship did not stem from any admiration or mutual respect between heroes, but rather from his desire to turn Qi Tongwei against his cause.

According to the investigation, Doihara had already seen that Qi Tongwei had a promising future and believed that if he could win him over, he would definitely become a crucial pawn for Japan in China in the future.

This was a plan that Japan had been planning for a long time – a substitution.

The aim was to gain control over China through infiltration.

As a descendant of Kenji Doihara, Jiro Doihara is naturally the key figure in this plan.

Therefore, when the Huaxia delegation came to him, he agreed to their proposal without hesitation and generously covered all the expenses of the association.

……

After hearing his subordinates' report on the other party's "friendly" attitude, Qi Tongwei was genuinely surprised.

Why are these people so easy to talk to?

He thought it would take a lot of effort, but he didn't expect the other party to agree so quickly.

If I had known, he should have arranged a time a couple of days ago; he might have made the headlines today.

He could certainly guess that the other party must have some unknown purpose.

But none of that matters.

Everyone comes with a purpose.

Besides, would he really bother arguing so much with a dead person?

Qi Tongwei instructed his staff to make preparations in advance for tonight's social gathering.

There wasn't anything special prepared, just some strong liquor.

Let's get these people drunk first.

Alcohol is always a powerful weapon to lower people's guard.

After arranging his work, Qi Tongwei immediately took a car to the airport.

Liu Wan is almost here.

He hadn't originally planned to pick them up, but the other party insisted that he do so, stating that it was part of an equal exchange.

He had no choice but to go to the airport himself.

At 3 p.m., a Boeing plane landed at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport amidst a loud roar.

Shortly after, Liu Wan appeared at the exit pushing a suitcase, without any entourage.

"Mr. Liu, over here." Qi Tongwei waved.

Upon hearing the sound, Liu Wan quickly walked over.

Qi Tongwei waved his hand, and the driver quickly stepped forward to take the luggage.

Liu Wan seemed to be in good spirits. After a ten-hour long flight, she maintained the elegant demeanor of a well-bred lady in every smile, gesture, and movement.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, the two left the airport.

To express his gratitude for the other party's help, Qi Tongwei made a show of it by personally opening the car door for Liu Wan, acting exactly like a subordinate.

He has only done this a few times since he entered politics, and those who deserve his attitude are certainly not ordinary people.

Liu Wan didn't make a fuss and gladly accepted Qi Tongwei's service before getting into the car.

The car drove towards the hotel.

In the car, Qi Tongwei sincerely thanked Liu Wan.

In a sense, the other party paid the price for one of his major political blunders.

Although he has the system, he will be able to get on it sooner or later.

However, this upward climbing process will inevitably become fraught with resistance.

Nowadays, this resistance has been largely offset.

Liu Wan simply smiled faintly, "There's no need for thanks. We're just doing a transaction where each of us gets what we need."

Saying thank you would make it seem like you're the one who got the better deal, which isn't good.

Qi Tongwei was taken aback. This Liu Wan was using his words to mock him.

"Mr. Liu, no matter what, I am very grateful to you."

Liu Wan ignored Qi Tongwei's "sincere" thanks and instead turned her gaze to the scenery of Paris outside the window.

It seemed that the scenery outside the window was more interesting than Qi Tongwei.

Qi Tongwei had no choice but to shut his mouth in embarrassment.

He knew Liu Wan was angry, so he didn't say anything to avoid adding fuel to the fire.

They traveled in silence. After settling Liu Wan into her hotel, Qi Tongwei prepared to leave.

Liu Wan suddenly said, "I want to travel around Paris tomorrow."

Qi Tongwei was taken aback, then tried to find an excuse, "I'll do it tomorrow..."

"If you have something to do, then forget it," Liu Wan said calmly. "After all, this isn't a condition."

This move completely stumped Qi Tongwei, making him feel like he had become the man who started something and then abandoned it.

They used someone and then discarded them like a rag.

"I'll try to squeeze in some time to free up the afternoon."

Liu Wan nodded. "Okay."

……

Evening, in the hotel banquet hall.

A banner reading "China-Japan Friendship Association," displayed in both Chinese and Japanese, opened the banquet.

The atmosphere was warm and harmonious, and no one would believe that the two groups had any national or personal grudges.

This is politics.

That's what a politician is.

The mask of hypocrisy and deception is deeply embedded in their faces.

"Mr. Doihara, let's have another drink." Qi Tongwei raised a glass of baijiu and gestured to Jiro Doihara, who quickly raised his glass and clinked it with Qi Tongwei's.

The two drank it all in one gulp.

Qi Tongwei's expression remained unchanged, while Doihara's face flushed even more deeply.

Before Doihara could catch his breath, Qi Tongwei filled both of their glasses and raised his glass again, saying, "Mr. Doihara, after our last parting in Germany, I thought we'd never meet again. But what a coincidence that we've met again in France! In China, this is called fate. So, to celebrate this fate, let's have another drink."

"Oh, hehe, Mr. Qi is right. Cheers to our shared destiny!"

Doihara was fluent in several languages, especially Chinese, making him a true expert in Chinese.

Therefore, there were no communication barriers between the two.

Another glass of wine down.

While Qi Tongwei was pouring the wine, Doihara patted Qi Tongwei on the shoulder and said:

"Actually, Mr. Qi, I have been thinking about you ever since we last met, because your speech was so brilliant that it not only impressed those Germans, but also made me admire you very much."

Qi Tongwei seized the opportunity, "Really? You flatter me! Come, to thank you for your high regard, we must have another drink!"

Doihara was taken aback, hesitated for a moment while looking at the wine glass, but still picked up the glass and drank it all in one gulp.

Qi Tongwei continued pouring wine, but Doihara couldn't take it anymore and hurriedly reached out to stop him, saying, "Mr. Qi, I am familiar with your country's drinking culture."

However, my alcohol tolerance isn't very high, so let's take it slow, slowly.

Qi Tongwei smiled and said, "Mr. Doihara, since you understand our Chinese drinking culture, you should understand that we only frequently urge our most distinguished friends to drink."

Because wine not only symbolizes China's long history, but also represents the enduring friendship between us. You said we should take it slow; do you mean you want our friendship to develop gradually?

"No, no, no, I absolutely did not mean that, it's just..."

"Then let's have another one. Let's have ten cups to rinse our mouths first, and then we can talk again after we've had our fill."

Doihara looked at the refilled wine glass and smiled bitterly, "Mr. Qi, please be merciful. I'm afraid I would have collapsed after ten cups."

For the implementation of the plan, Qi Tongwei chose a two-ounce cup.

Two kilograms of strong liquor is quite a challenge for Japanese people who usually only drink low-alcohol sake.

Qi Tongwei said, "Alright, Mr. Doihara, let's finish this drink. After that, you can invite your assistant secretary to help out. How about I take on both of you?"

"One against two?" Doihara's eyes lit up. "Mr. Qi is indeed a young cadre from China, he has guts."

Doihara was about to wave to his assistants.

Qi Tongwei suddenly stopped him: "Mr. Doihara, don't rush to call for help. I also have a condition."

"What conditions?"

"That means you provide the people, but I have to choose who drinks. That's the only fair thing to do."

Qi Tongwei needed to be a nobody; he was worried that the person Doihara had assigned was just a figurehead, so he resorted to this desperate measure.

“That’s fair.” Doihara didn’t think much of it, stood up, and gave orders to the members of the Japanese inspection team.

All the Japanese men stood up and shouted "Hi!" in unison.

"Mr. Qi, please choose."

Qi Tongwei smiled, stood up, casually looked around, and pointed out a young man.

Doihara waved his hand, and the young man immediately ran to Qi Tongwei's table and bowed to the two of them.

I don't know what Doihara was saying, but the other person kept saying "Hi hi hi".

Qi Tongwei suddenly remembered that he didn't understand Japanese, so how could he give orders after signing in?

So I asked the other person's name in English.

Fortunately, he was selected by Doihara to go abroad for research, and being fluent in English was a basic requirement.

Communication between the two became seamless.

The young man's name was Shan Shang, and he wasn't in the investigation materials. He originally wanted to target the assistant listed in the materials, but after checking, he found out that the other party's assistants all held the rank of section chief, which is equivalent to a department head.

Since there was no guarantee of obedience after signing in, this method was switched to.

Being able to drink with their governor and high-ranking foreign leaders was an immense honor for this young man in his twenties. He was so excited and nervous that his replies became somewhat distorted.

Doihara's face darkened instantly, feeling humiliated. He glared fiercely at Yamagami, who became even more nervous, nodding and apologizing repeatedly.

Qi Tongwei secretly activated his [Aura] and said in a friendly tone, "Mr. Shanshang, don't be nervous. We're about the same age. At the dinner table, there's no distinction between leader and subordinate, only friends and drinking buddies. Come on, let's have a drink first."

Under the soothing influence of the aura, the tension on the mountainside eased considerably. Gratefully, he raised his glass and clinked it with Qi Tongwei.

After exchanging a few drinks with the other party, Qi Tongwei praised Doihara in English, saying, "Mr. Doihara, your assistant has a very good capacity for alcohol. He would be considered a master even in China. I didn't expect your country to be so full of talent."

Doihara glanced at Yamashiro, whose face was flushed red, whether from the praise or the drink, and said modestly, "He still needs to train. He doesn't deserve such praise from Mr. Qi."

"I'm not praising you, but talented people are welcome everywhere."

Shan Shang's eyes, red from the effects of alcohol, looked at Qi Tongwei with overwhelming gratitude.

Qi Tongwei knew the time was right and immediately signed the other party in.

After drinking two more glasses, Qi Tongwei suggested calling another person, "My alcohol tolerance is extraordinary. Even experts are still a bit lacking in front of me. So, could you please invite another assistant? I want to take on three people at once."

Seeing that Qi Tongwei had downed more than two jin of strong liquor without changing his expression, Doihara dared not be careless.

He also had the idea of ​​getting Qi Tongwei drunk to find a weakness, and immediately told everyone to stand up.

This time, everyone in Japan is eager to try.

They all heard Qi Tongwei's praise of the people down the mountain, and everyone wanted to show off and catch the eye of the two senior leaders.

Qi Tongwei then casually pointed to a young man named Matsushita.

To copy the example.

Qi Tongwei's drinking capacity was no match for this group of people.

Before long, the three of them were quite drunk.

Qi Tongwei stopped fighting and, also "seven-tenths drunk," said, "Mr. Doihara, I had a very enjoyable time drinking. Thank you very much, and thank you both for your help."

To express my gratitude, I prepared a small gift for each of them.

Qi Tongwei said a few words to Wang Wenjie, who turned and left. When he returned, he was carrying several small boxes.

Doihara waved his hand in refusal, "Mr. Qi, please forgive our rudeness, we did not have time to prepare a return gift, so we cannot accept this gift."

Qi Tongwei pressed down on the other person's hand, feigning displeasure, "Hey, in China, we always show our friendship over drinks. I have already formed a deep friendship with you and your two assistants. This is a small token of my personal appreciation. If you don't accept it, you're disrespecting me."

Doihara had no choice but to "reluctantly" accept the wine, but he was secretly delighted. He hadn't expected the young mayor to be so easy to talk to, and that a few bottles of wine had warmed up their relationship so quickly.

So, taking the opportunity to go a step further, he said, "Alright then, I'll accept it. But in return, I'll also give Mr. Qi a gift. I'll have someone prepare it in the next couple of days, and Mr. Qi can't refuse it."

"It's easy to talk about."

Qi Tongwei took the gifts from Wang Wenjie and handed them to the three of them one by one.

The gift was three expensive watches.

Doihara glanced at it and accepted it with gratitude.

For him, such a gift was quite ordinary.

However, for young people, such a valuable gift is quite amazing.

The two thanked him repeatedly.

Qi Tongwei took out his watch and personally put it on the two of them. "We young people should have a lot to talk about, but due to time constraints, we can only reserve the opportunity for now."

I hope that one day, when I go to Japan, I can once again share a drink and have a good time with a few of them.

Consider this watch a testament to our friendship, a promise I made with a few of you.

Next time, let's meet up in Japan and have a good drink!

Anyone would be moved if a high-ranking foreign leader said such a thing to an ordinary clerk.

A scholar dies for a confidant.

Suddenly, this sentence popped into the minds of the two young people.

The banquet ended with everyone enjoying themselves.

Doihara was unaware that his life was already on the countdown. He was still basking in the success of the social gathering and, as soon as he returned to his room, he arranged for someone to prepare a gift.

He wanted to win over the young mayor at their next meeting.

……