CHAPTER 301: CHAPTER 3: JUST A PISS-SIMPLE MATTER

Under the roaring wind of the rotors, at the moment Zhou Qingfeng stepped onto the deck of the ’Ford’, his eyes were fixed on Admiral Alvin’s head.

Unlike the ’Dias’ who preferred to act solo, opportunities to get close to a naval admiral were rare. Even if you ran into one, they certainly wouldn’t be alone.

Today, the other party had invited him, and Zhou Qingfeng was here seeking a chance to assassinate, with his eyes subtly giving off a cold aura.

Though Admiral Alvin warmly patted shoulders in greeting, proactively led the way to the hangar where the party was set up, and introduced the various guests who had arrived, his eyes when looking at ’Harden’ also harbored some disdain.

Both of them were hidden needles in velvet gloves, with smiles that didn’t reach their eyes.

The massive elevator slowly descended, taking the two into the vast hangar of the carrier.

What appeared before them was a visually striking scene: a gigantic United States flag hung like a waterfall at the end of the hangar, the bright red, white, and blue colors standing out vividly under the lights.

Below the flag, twelve sleek, futuristic F-35C carrier-based jets were arranged in a diagonal formation on both sides, silent and cold, extremely intimidating.

Around the carrier-based jets were twenty to thirty cold buffet tables covered with white tablecloths, filled with exquisite food and drinks, or barbecue stands.

The air was filled with the rich aroma of champagne, the enticing scent of food, and the chatter of people exchanging pleasantries.

More than a hundred young men and women in crisp navy uniforms moved among them, serving as well-trained attendants.

Five or six hundred guests, either in suits or elegantly dressed, held their drinks and gathered in groups by the carrier-based jets, occasionally letting out cheerful laughter, creating a stark contrast with the cold steel jets.

As Zhou Qingfeng’s companion, Shanni, wearing a floor-length gown, held his arm as they entered the hangar venue, she couldn’t help but exclaim in genuine admiration:

"Wow... Whose idea was this? People say the military is corrupt, but this ’party’ is really extravagant. It looks quite impressive."

As a follower, Xiao Jinlang doggedly followed behind Zhou Qingfeng. His carefully disguised Caucasian face appeared somewhat wooden.

When he saw the F-35C, representing the core power of the United States Navy, being used as party decorations, he was stunned, his eyes wide open, unable to react for three to five seconds.

"It’s absurd, really exaggerated. If such a thing were leaked domestically, the public might think the country was doomed."

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As the rapidly rising star of the "Ministry of Efficiency", Mr. Harden was somewhat late when he arrived, yet he became the focus of the evening, with groups of people immediately gathering around him.

"Mr. Harden, I must thank you." The first to come up was a middle-aged woman who only gave her first name during her self-introduction, without mentioning her identity. But her smiling demeanor made her seem quite influential.

Zhou Qingfeng simply clinked glasses with her and asked back, "Thank me for what?"

"Thank you for ruthlessly implementing a pandemic policy that killed my father," the middle-aged woman continued to smile, "allowing me to inherit a substantial fortune."

Zhou Qingfeng stood there stunned, not expecting to be thanked for something like this.

Accompanying Admiral Alvin laughed heartily and explained, "Harden, your policy cleared out over four thousand senior government positions in Washington D.C.

For every senior position vacated, five to eight lower-tier positions are also adjusted accordingly. Now, there are quite a few people keeping an eye on those."

This reminder struck Zhou Qingfeng like a lightning bolt, making him fully aware of the importance of his current position.

He was a high-ranking ’official’ personally appointed by the Vice President, yet his position wasn’t part of the civil service but more of an advisor, naturally detached.

An experienced bureaucrat would immediately utilize this detachment to advise the Vice President as much as possible, desperately inserting their people into the vacant positions.

No wonder on the day Zhou Qingfeng took office, a flurry of calls came in from people trying to establish connections, while he, a layman, was completely oblivious.

However, even after knowing this, he remained indifferent. No matter who tried to sound him out, he only greeted them formally, neither welcoming nor resisting.

Admiral Alvin accompanied him for a while, then found an excuse to leave, walking away before angrily saying to his nearby secretary, "Harden is either a fool or a bastard.

I personally accompanied him to make an appearance, and yet he gave no recognition to the dozen or so people I introduced, nor did he make any promises.

Looks like we might as well find someone to get rid of him, a bachelor from Tennessee, not much influence, no one would care if he died."

’Party’ is just a venue for the private exchange of interests.

The admiral felt he had lowered himself to engage in some under-the-table deals with ’Harden’, only to find the other party giving no response, remaining icy.

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Zhou Qingfeng showed little interest in the lively "party" filled with clinking glasses and had even less interest in making insincere social gestures, randomly accepting any stranger’s requests would only bring unnecessary trouble.

"Mr. Harden, if you’re interested in anyone or anything, feel free to ask me." After the admiral left, a lieutenant colonel aide was arranged to stay behind, taking on the role of ’tour guide’.

"Do you often hold such parties here?" Zhou Qingfeng nonchalantly asked, holding a wine glass.

"Not really, the ’Ford’ carrier is currently undergoing maintenance, so the air wing on the ship has temporarily relocated to a nearby air force base, allowing most of the fleet personnel to rest on land,"

The lieutenant colonel aide started to boast a bit to the ’high official’, talking from the party at hand to the operation of the aircraft carrier, from the takeoff and landing of the carrier-based aircraft to the strategic deployment of the navy.