Chapter 15 Chapter fifteen

In early autumn, although the heat of summer has not completely faded away, people have already felt the coming of autumn. The blue sky is deep and vast, and the air is less humid and stagnant, and becomes refreshing. In Song Yikun's office, because of the music disc bought by Xia Yingjie and the videotape of the donation ceremony sent by Jiang Wei, there was an extra DVD player and a VCR next to the TV. In the morning, the first thing Song Yikun did after waking up was to look at the calendar on the desk as usual.He turned the page of yesterday. Today is Monday, August 29th.On the memorandum column is his handwriting in red pencil, which reads: A press conference will be held in the medium-sized conference hall of the International Hotel at ten o'clock in the morning to announce the successful bidder for the construction project and decoration project of the Grapple Hotel.

In fact, he knows what to do today without looking at the calendar. He has been preparing for this day for a long time.The investigation materials sent by Jiang Wei sent by Ye Hongjun changed his background of the two established bid-winning companies from inference to evidence. Only in terms of the purpose of getting rid of Grapple Company, he has already won the victory.This card is stored in his mind, and he will play it at the most critical moment.Of course, not to Hill or Raynor, but to the people behind these two men. In this world, almost everyone is busy surviving, but he is one of the very few people.He didn't dare to say that he was defending anything, he was just walking on the road to his destination, and doing what he could to comfort the living and the dead.No one can tell how fragmented his soul is, only he himself knows how much he longs for relief.

After breakfast, he ordered Secretary Feng to assist the people in the company's office in preparing for the meeting before returning to the office by himself.If there is one idler in such a big company, it is Song Yikun.Grapple established a delicate power structure from the beginning, with General Manager Hill as an expert in the hotel industry, and his job was to maximize the speculative interest in the relationship between China's political system and economic system. . The office is quiet, and no one will disturb him during the time before the meeting.He turned on the video recorder and watched the live video of the donation to Mafang Village Primary School again.

The video was not played from the beginning. As soon as the screen came out, it happened that the village chief of Mafang Village was speaking on the rostrum. The so-called rostrum was actually a few desks placed side by side, with provincial leaders sitting in the middle and county leaders sitting on both sides , township leaders, Song Baoying and Jiang Wei are also on the rostrum.All the teachers and students of Mafang Village Elementary School sat neatly in the venue, surrounded by nearby villagers and students' parents.This elementary school has never been more festive than it is today, with smiles on everyone's faces.

The village head is an old man in his fifties, with wrinkles carved on his bronzed face.Wearing a short-sleeved vest, he kept waving his arms and said in his accustomed expression: "On behalf of Mafang Village, on behalf of the teachers and the dolls, I thank the party, the government, and the county and township leaders for their support to us." care……" Perhaps it was because the village chief had never had the opportunity to contact provincial officials, so he naturally did not store this procedure in his brain, so he forgot about the provincial leaders. Song Yikun saw that his elder sister was already getting older and thinner, but she looked more energetic and kind. Her elder sister's eyes seemed to be watching him.He shivered suddenly, and a layer of sweat broke out all over his body.Even on TV, he dared not meet his sister's eyes.In his mind, the one he respects the most and also fears the most is this motherly sister.He quickly looked away and subconsciously turned off the video recorder.

He lay down on the sofa weakly, lit a cigarette and smoked slowly to calm down the uneasiness in his heart.His thoughts gradually returned to the matter of project bidding, and there was nothing more important than this right now. Entrusted by Grapur Company, Jiangzhou Engineering Design Institute reviewed 13 construction companies participating in the bidding for construction projects, and Jiangzhou Institute of Light Industry reviewed 21 decoration companies participating in bidding for decoration projects, and selected three companies with The company is for the final decision of the Grapple Corporation.Among them, the two established bid-winning companies were successfully surrounded because they obtained internal information secretly provided by the Italian side.These two companies are:

Wuhan Yingke Construction Engineering Co., Ltd. Zhuhai Yani Decoration Engineering Co., Ltd. These two companies have many similarities. Both are foreign-funded enterprises, and the registrants are overseas Chinese who emigrated overseas in the late 1980s, and both are children of senior cadres.The difference is that they live in different countries. According to Ye Hongjun's statistics on official newspapers and periodicals, an Italian international group company has successively signed contracts with several large Chinese companies to export communications to China. pharmaceuticals.The export value of petrochemical and other equipment is nearly 900 million yuan.

If viewed in isolation, everything would be normal.However, Ye Hongjun found a link between the family background of the registrant of the established bid-winning company and the powerful people in charge of those large trades.The so-called established winning bid, its purpose is self-evident. With regard to bidding, Grapple Company held a symbolic meeting of the board of directors, but instead of discussing the bidding companies, it determined the person in charge of the bidding work.Undoubtedly, the chairman becomes the natural decision maker. In fact, the moment Song Yikun got the list of the six shortlisted companies, he had already decided on the final two winning bidders.His selection method is simple: first exclude the established winning bidders, and then select the companies that rank first due to their high evaluation scores.

Hill took a non-interfering and non-inquiring attitude towards the bidding work, not only because it was a matter between Song Yikun and Renault, he never suspected that there would be any problems with this work, and he even cooperated with Song Yikun's confidentiality measures. Song Yikun personally checked the printed blank "Decision Letter", as well as the pen, printing ink and company seal, rearranged his suit and tie, and then went to the conference hall. In the venue, representatives from the six Jiawei companies came, as well as representatives from Jiangzhou Engineering Design Institute and Jiangzhou Institute of Light Industry.Except for a few reporters, the rest are cadres of the Grapple Company, including Hill and Wang Hai.

The press conference was chaired by Wang Hai, director of the company's office.Representatives of the two review committees made speeches respectively, introducing the review process and results.Afterwards, Song Yikun spoke.Song Yikun went to the speech seat, looked around the venue, and said solemnly: "Gentlemen, on behalf of Jiangzhou Grapur Company, I announce that the winning bidder for the construction project of Grapur Hotel is Jiangzhou Fifth Construction Engineering Company; the winning bidder for the decoration project The company is Beijing Tianli Decoration Engineering Co., Ltd. The signing ceremony of the contract is scheduled to be held at 7:00 p.m. on September 3, 1994, in the conference hall of the International Hotel."

Then, Song Yikun filled in the blanks of the bid-winning company in the two "Decision Letters" respectively, filled in the name of the bid-winning company, wrote the date, signed his name, stamped the company seal, and separated the two effective "Decision Letters" Put it in a folder to show solemnity, and hand it over to the representative of the winning company. Hill was shocked. Representatives of the two established winning bidders were stunned. There were warm and unwarm applause in the venue. Some people were excited, some were disappointed, some were silent, and some left the venue early.Song Yikun turned a blind eye to everything and waited calmly until the host announced the end of the press conference. Song Yikun knew that the next show would be when Hill came to challenge him.But Hill needs time, and needs to report the situation and accept the order before he can take any action. Sure enough, Song Yikun never saw Hill again throughout the whole day after the press conference, as if he had disappeared from the company.However, Song Yikun's decision cannot be changed. The company has already discussed the contract text with the winning company according to the procedure.No one in the company sensed anything out of the ordinary except for General Manager Hill. On this day, Song Yikun spent most of his time on the construction site of the new leather factory. For dinner, he invited his secretary, the driver and others to eat Sichuan hot pot at the night market stall. Roma bought him a tune. The music flows in every corner of the room, with restless rhythms and mournful confessions. Sometimes it is as profound and unpredictable as an ancient spell, and sometimes it is bold and open-minded like a wide sea. Song Yikun was immersed in the music, as if he was listening to a white-haired old man telling a story about the cycle of life. The figures of relatives, lovers and friends appeared in front of his eyes. His soul was brought to a remote and desolate pure place by the music. At some point, the doorbell rang. Song Yikun knew that it must be Hill.He turned off the DVD player and TV, opened the door, saw Hill gave him a cold look, stepped into the living room and sat down, and the German translator closed the door immediately. Hill's expression was full of contempt, and he said in a contemptuous tone: "Mr. Song, I am very surprised, you are a dishonest person, you are lying." Even when he was angry, Hill maintained his impeccable gentlemanly demeanor. The translator accurately conveyed Hill's language to Song Yikun, including Hill's tone and expression. "This conclusion is unfair." Song Yikun sat down and said calmly and seriously, "Although I am not noble, I will not lie." The dedicated interpreter also fully conveyed Song Yikun's language, tone and demeanor to Hill. Hill immediately pointed out: "You promised Mr. Renault in Beijing." Song Yikun said: "I have to explain that what I said to Mr. Renault is——I am responsible for this matter. I am still responsible, including its consequences." Hill was dumbfounded, and suddenly understood the meaning of it, and the disdain in his eyes faded rapidly.He pondered for a moment, then asked, "Why are you doing this?" "That's an ideological issue. I believe you didn't come to discuss philosophy with me tonight." Song Yikun's tone was very friendly, as if two friends were having a heart-to-heart conversation, and this did not hinder what he wanted to express.He said: "I can tell you responsibly, especially no matter who the person behind Mr. Renault is, I will give him an explanation. I will not mind any way and place they ask. So, I ask you to directly express your intention." "Please report to Vienna." Hill said, "For this reason, I have made a plan for you to visit Europe, and I am responsible for all the preparations. All you have to do is board the plane. The time is about twenty days after." "Is there no other request?" Song Yikun asked. Hill said: "In order to avoid the expansion of the situation and for the safety of more people, I hope you can keep silent and limit the problem to the smallest extent." "I agree." Song Yikun said. "The conversation tonight went better than I expected, and I hope it's a conversation between gentlemen, where commitment equals personality," Hill said. Song Yikun said: "Only in this sense, you can regard me as a gentleman." Hill stood up from the sofa, wanted to leave, and said: "You have pushed a fact that the upper management cannot accept to them. This is very serious. But I have to admit that you are responsible to the company." "Thank you." Song Yikun shook hands with Hill. Song Yikun personally signed two contracts.This stroke not only accumulates his experience and thinking about human nature, but also marks his betrayal of himself. On the evening of September 29, more than a dozen high-level cadres of the Grapple Company hosted a banquet for Song Yikun's farewell visit to Europe.At midnight, Song Yikun and his party of six left Jiangzhou in two cars.Besides the driver, it was Hill and Secretary Feng who went to Beijing to see him off.Hill's interpreter will accompany Song Yikun to Austria. In Song Yikun's view, these people were not so much seen off as escort. Wang Hai cannot accompany Song Yikun due to work needs, but Sun Gang will accompany Song Yikun on the inspection.Lonica Company in Austria is responsible for receiving Song Yikun and arranging inspection activities. At nine o'clock in the morning on the 30th, the car drove into Beijing.According to Song Yikun's request, the driver first drove the car to Deng Wenying's "Oriental Fashion Company".Song Yikun knew that once he left, he would never come back. The office of Dongfangren Fashion Company is located in an office building. The driver parked the car in the compound. Song Yikun got out of the car to ask others, then went up to the third floor and found Deng Wenying in the fashion company manager's office. Deng Wenying put both hands on the desk, holding a pen, and said to Song Yikun: "Two good cars came. Everyone thought it was someone coming. Unexpectedly, it was you who got out of the car." Song Yikun stood at the door and said, "I'm here to discuss the pony matter with you." Deng Wenying avoided everyone in the office, asked Song Yikun to sit down, and said: "Miss Jiang visited Xiaoma a few days ago and brought a lot of gifts. Xiaoma is very good with me, and I treat him as my younger brother. If you're going to reschedule the pony, I don't agree." Song Yikun said: "At the beginning, I entrusted Xiao Ma to you temporarily, but that was not a long-term solution. I took him in, so I must be responsible to him. I didn't say I would take him away, I came to ask you Opinion." Deng Wenying was silent for a moment, then shook her head and said, "Yikun, in the past four years, two major cases that have caused a sensation all over the country have occurred around you. Lin Feng was sentenced to death in the Jiangzhou Agricultural Bank case, and Fang Ziyun committed suicide in the Yunyang Company case. I wonder, are you so innocent?" Song Yikun was speechless. Deng Wenying said mockingly: "Yikun, leave a good seedling for the society." Song Yikun's heart was stabbed heavily, and he couldn't tell what kind of pain it was. He felt a kind of sadness that he had never felt before.He thought for a while, and asked: "Let me see him." Deng Wenying said: "He is still young, and he can't stand the temptation of your battle. It's better not to see him. Don't let him have that idea."At the beginning, you said that there were too many smart people around you, and Xiao Ma was not suitable for that environment.I think now, there are more smart people around you. " There is no need to continue talking like this, and Deng Wenying's opinion is also acceptable to Song Yikun.He felt that he should be more sensible and leave here as soon as possible.When he got up to say goodbye, he considered his vocabulary and said, "If you have any difficulties, please feel free to contact me." The hypothetical difficulty refers to Deng Wenying's difficulty in taking care of the pony?Or does it mean that Xiao Ma has difficulties in living with Deng Wenying?It was inconvenient for Song Yikun to explain clearly.And Song Yikun has already decided his own destiny and can no longer contact him.The so-called "contact at any time" obviously refers to the most reliable people around him, and more elements refer to Xia Yingjie and Ye Hongjun.But on this point, Song Yikun couldn't say clearly. Deng Wenying didn't pay attention to the words that she had to say, and she couldn't say clearly. She just sent Song Yikun out of the office and stopped. When she parted, she said: "Next time I come to see Xiaoma, please be more homely. Don't let your foreign cars and foreign devils take Xiaoma away." The horse is scared. People who don’t know you think you are trying to show off, how uneducated.” "Understood." Song Yikun replied, turned and went downstairs, thinking: there will be no next time. He didn't get to see the pony, which seemed to be God's will, even the gods were hinting that he was a betrayer. After leaving Oriental Fashion Company, Song Yikun and his party went directly to the airport and waited in the waiting hall for more than two hours.Both he and Hill acted as if nothing had happened, chatting happily with everyone, talking about anecdotes in the company, and talking about the prospects of the Grapple Hotel. At 11:35, Song Yikun boarded the plane with the passengers. He had no relatives or friends behind him, and no one knew his loneliness and desolation.The only thing that accompanied him was the windbreaker on his arm. That windbreaker was bought for him by Xia Yingjie with his own money in Shanghai on November 16, 1992.That day, Xia Yingjie came to pick him up from prison. It seemed that everything that should be done was over, but Xia Yingjie couldn't let him go.He categorically rejected every call she made, and didn't even give her a chance to meet for the last time, only imagining that his indifference and isolation could give her a chance of survival. Indifference is the last thing he can do to protect the woman he loves. It was drizzling in Vienna and the wind was cool.No matter what this world-famous city means to others, it can only mean two words to Song Yikun: liquidation. Seeing Song Yikun in a foreign country, Sun Gang felt very cordial and excited, but he didn't know what language to use to express it, but he just held hands tightly and was reluctant to let go.And the three representatives of Ronica Company who came to the airport to greet Song Yikun were polite, purely businessman's courtesy. Since Song Yikun's residence was just an empty house and he couldn't live in it, he was arranged to stay in a restaurant in the 14th district.After Song Yikun's room was opened, the people from Lonica Company did not go in, but stood at the door and talked to the translator for a few words, and then the translator said to Song Yikun: "Mr. Song, I have sent you to Vienna safely and finished my work. The company has already made arrangements for the future schedule, and Mr. Sun Gang will tell you. The company has prepared a dinner for you, and there will be a work meeting after dinner. You should take a rest first, and a car will pick you up in the evening." "Thank you." Song Yikun said. Afterwards, the translator and the people from Lonica Company left together. Song Yikun closed the door, took off his windbreaker, and followed his regular procedure: take out the tea that he brought, brew it, light a cigarette and sit on the sofa. Sun Gang has a lot to say about the reunion after a long absence, and there are many things to report.But he understands Song Yikun's character, he doesn't say superfluous words, let alone listen to the broad ocean and sky's emotional expression, and he himself is not good at words, so he waits for Song Yikun to ask questions and answer what he asks. However, Song Yikun just drank tea and smoked without asking any questions.This dull atmosphere is very inconsistent with the scenes people are used to. Sun Gang couldn't bear it anymore and said, "Brother Kun, do you want me to report the schedule of the inspection activities first? Besides..." "Not busy, let's talk about other things tomorrow." Song Yikun made a gesture and said: "I may be a little uncomfortable with the jet lag, and I have a work meeting tonight. You go back first and leave me alone to clear my head." Song Yikun seems to be very unkind, but Sun Gang has gotten used to it after years of dating.So he said, "Okay, I'll come and see you tomorrow morning." Sun Gang said goodbye. As far as Song Yikun was concerned, there was no need for Sun Gang to report any more, all substantive issues were in his mind, and what Sun Gang could know was too insignificant. He was mentally prepared for the tight schedule of the Italians' "reporting" time. What he needed at this moment was to be quiet, to maintain a stable state of mind, and to maintain a clear mind. At seven o'clock in the evening, the phone rang. Song Yikun picked up the phone and heard the other party say in Chinese: "Mr. Song, the car to pick you up has arrived. It is a Cadillac sedan parked at the hotel entrance." Song Yikun put down the phone and walked out of the hotel. Sure enough, there was a Cadillac parked at the door with the rear door open.He didn't even say hello to the person guarding the car door, and got into the car directly. Ten minutes later, the car drove into a compound and stopped in front of the building. A man took Song Yikun into a living room, closed the door and walked away. This living room has more than 100 square meters. The interior decoration is noble and solemn, and the cultural atmosphere of Rome is flowing.In the center of the living room is a large milky white round stone table, surrounded by light yellow sofas, which are integrated with the soft light of the ceiling lamp. There were only three people in the living room. An old man in his sixties was sitting in an inconspicuous place outside the circular sofa. The two standing Song Yikun knew each other. One was Renuo and the other was an interpreter. The two sides did not shake hands, and Lei Nuo gestured for Song Yikun to take a seat, and the two sat in an equilateral triangle on the circular sofa.Renault said something to Song Yikun coldly, and then translated: "I regret that we met for the second time in a very unpleasant mood. Even so, we still want to apologize for not preparing dinner. With authorization, I, as The representative discusses with you several issues of mutual concern." Thus, the conversation between the two began under the intermediary of the translator. Renault said: "In football, the person who is shown a red card is sent off. According to tradition, the person who betrays will be executed." Song Yikun remained silent. Renault said: "Look at your books, what we gave you and what you gave us back, that was a huge deficit. How did you end up?" "That depends on what rules apply." Song Yikun said quietly: "If it is a gentleman's rule, I am responsible for what I do. If it is a barbaric rule, the safety and property of the people around me are threatened, then, the same The rules apply to the other party as well." "I don't think you lack common sense about the balance of power between us," Reynolds said. Renault's language is very characteristic. He used the word "contrast" obviously out of politeness. His original intention was to ask the other party to speak out the contingency countermeasures openly and honestly, which also accommodated elements of acknowledgment of objectivity and elements of prompting and threatening. To the degree, if it is too much, it will be too explicit, and it will be out of style, if it is too little, it will be too off topic, and the meaning is unclear. Song Yikun said: "According to our statistics from the newspapers and periodicals, you have exported nearly 900 million yuan of equipment to China. Based on the status and influence of the power figures on both sides of the transaction in their respective countries, plus the influence of the Yunyang Company case in China and your transnational The company's international influence, this inside story may evolve from an economic event to a political event, and we will all be fortunate enough to become celebrities because of the attention of international public opinion." The Italians clearly anticipated this situation.Renault was silent for a moment, and said coldly: "It's really a good card, you should use it to include yourself. Of course, you don't have to mind that there are still a few people who despise you in this world." "I mind." Song Yikun said, "My principle is that I don't owe anyone anything." "Very well, I appreciate this kind of responsible spirit." Renault said, "You are gone, how will your shares in Grapple be disposed of?" Song Yikun said: "Cross out the imaginary ones, and quit all the real ones." Renault said: "Calculating your actual income from real estate, deducting the start-up capital of 6 million yuan and the transfer capital of 420,000 U.S. dollars, you hold 15% of the actual shares, and 12% of them belong to Wang Hai and Sun Gang. In this sense, to what extent can you represent others?" Song Yikun said: "If Wang Hai and Sun Gang's funds continue to stay in the company, they may not even get a pair of socks in the future. You don't need them, but you may anger them in the most civilized way." "So," Renault asked, "who will receive the shares?" Song Yikun replied: "This work will be in charge of Ye Hongjun. If you give up the opportunity of equivalent acquisition, these shares will be publicly transferred to the public with a 10% appreciation as the transfer condition. Zhou Liguang, chairman of Shenzhen Tianda Company, said that if If there is a chance, he is willing to share in Jiangzhou Grapple Company. I am sure that once the news is released, more companies will be willing to join big-name companies, so that the value-added rate of shares will increase. Of course, this will disrupt the structure of Jiangzhou Company , if you can live with this." Lei Nuo was silent again, he watched Song Yikun quietly, feeling something in his heart.After a long time, he said in a self-talking tone: "We don't pay the price, but we will punish you; we will punish you regardless of the price. If you live, you will make some face-saving gentlemen feel uncomfortable. And I personally can't understand The most important thing is, since you want to save your own soul, why don't you announce everything you know to the public? How much do your repentance and sense of justice control you?" Song Yikun said: "A person like me will end up at this point. There is no space in the front and back. I feel inferior when I carry any flag. I can only sink on the spot." "Yes," Reynolds said, "your front and rear each have their own philosophical territories, and you can't live between two forces and two interests. There is no such space." Song Yikun asked: "Can I think that we have reached an agreement?" "I think so," Renault said, "We accept a solution without concussions, and promise the safety of Ms. Xia and others. Your shares will be withdrawn in full and smoothly. As for your matter, we will notify you in due course , you can continue your European investigation as planned." Renault stood up and glanced in the direction where the old man was sitting. The old man who had been silent like an outsider raised his left hand and waved lightly at this moment. Renault understood, left the living room, and closed the door. The interpreter said, "Mr. Song, please sit over there." Song Yikun changed seats and sat opposite the old man according to the gesture of the interpreter, while the interpreter sat beside the old man. The old man leaned back on the sofa, as if he had just slept and hadn't fully woken up yet, his eyes were weakly opened only a crack, but this gaze was sober and sharp, as if it could penetrate everything.He said something, his voice was very flat and the rhythm was very slow. The translator was taken aback, his expression was clearly asking: Why?But he didn't dare to ask, so he could only translate truthfully: "I declare that the agreement between you and Renault is invalid. We will not punish you. You can go now. I promise you are safe, and so are your friends." It's safe, you can live your life according to your own will in the future." Song Yikun suddenly seemed to have been hit on the head with a sap. Worse, he stared blankly at the old man, at a loss, he felt weightless. After a death-like silence, the old man looked away from Song Yikun's face, and said flatly: "Unless God really comes down, no one can put your broken soul back together again. You are here to ask for death, because Suicide is not decent. From me, between balance and liberation, you can only take one thing. If you choose liberation, stop telling me that you owe me what you owe me when you are a good man and a good man. Young man, don't be too greedy .” Song Yikun, who had always been calm and calm, felt his face heat up at this moment, as embarrassed and embarrassed as if he had been stripped naked.At the same time, a kind of dripping pleasure also rises suddenly, like playing a game of chess with a master. There were still some delicate accounts, but now they are clear.Song Yikun sighed sadly in his heart: God, it's too harsh. Song Yikun said beggingly: "Sir, I beg you to give me a chance to be free." The old man nodded and said, "There is no shortage of talented people in this world, but spiritual people. In this regard, you are okay. I still think of you like a man, and I agree to your request." "Thank you." Song Yikun shook hands with the old man gratefully and politely. The psychological structure that Song Yikun relied on for his survival had been torn apart, he had nowhere to go, and finally, with the help of others, he freed himself in a decent way. According to a report from a TV station in Hamburg, Germany: Song Yikun, chairman of China Jiangzhou Grappel Co., Ltd., and a group of six people arrived in Hamburg for a business inspection. He was stabbed to death, and his money and belongings were robbed by gangsters. Three months later, news came from Rome: Ms. Xia Yingjie, a young writer living in Italy, died of overdose of sleeping pills on the day she finished writing her last book "The Poet Fang Ziyun". (Finish)