Chapter 8: Vortex

【8】The Vortex

It was the afternoon of October 28th when Xiao Qiang returned to Beijing. Without a moment’s rest, he reorganized his luggage at his new home and drove the FAW Haima microvan straight to an open-air warehouse on the outskirts of the city.

The 50 FAW J6P 420-horsepower heavy-duty trucks he had ordered online—each costing 330,000 yuan and filled with fuel—were now lined up within the 3,000-square-meter open-air lot. According to historical records, this area had been a flat, barren wasteland in the 1950s. Using the Blood Soul’s large-scale teleportation here would not result in the teleportation point overlapping with any buildings; Xiao Qiang did not want to risk collapsing structures and causing casualties.

Xiao Qiang had previously negotiated the rental online and transferred the funds, securing the space for a month at a rate of 0.9 yuan per square meter per day. The car dealership had kept its promise, parking all the trucks Xiao Qiang purchased here and stationing guards at the gate until he arrived to take possession. Once the handover was completed on-site, Xiao Qiang used his laptop to confirm the receipt on Alipay. Zhao Guoqing, the FAW North China general agent, shook hands with Xiao Qiang enthusiastically before leaving, repeatedly expressing his desire to treat Xiao Qiang to a meal and hoping for future cooperation. Xiao Qiang promised to visit again next time.

With the moon hanging high in the sky, Xiao Qiang was the only one left in the open-air warehouse. The gates were locked tight, and the occasional sound of a dog barking drifted from afar. While eating a bar of chocolate he had bought during his last trip but hadn't finished, Xiao Qiang squeezed more blood from his left middle finger and smeared it onto each of the J6P trucks. Including the microvan, there were fifty-one vehicles in total. This was the largest scale of teleportation he had attempted so far, but Xiao Qiang was confident he could complete it brilliantly according to the Blood Soul’s instructions.

"Blood formation prepared. Initiating blood sacrifice."

The entire open-air warehouse suddenly became a super-massive black hole, as if even the moonlight were being sucked into it. A second later, the night remained silent, but the vehicles that had filled the lot were gone. Only a single cigarette butt remained on the concrete floor, glowing with a faint red light.

The teleportation went smoothly. After confirming that all the vehicles were safely parked on the vast, endless farmland, Xiao Qiang returned to his Haima microvan and waited quietly for the dawn.

He waited until daybreak when his phone alarm went off before starting the microvan and driving toward the municipal government. Last night’s teleportation had been a success; all the vehicles had arrived safely. The open ground was frozen hard, making it very suitable for vehicles to traverse. Upon arriving at the municipal government building, he parked and found the guard at the entrance.

"I need to see Mayor Nie."

The guard, who looked like an honest, simple man, was surprised and slightly amused by Xiao Qiang’s request, but he replied earnestly

"You can't just see Mayor Nie whenever you want. If you have business, go to the reception office."

"Notify your superiors. Tell them I have 50 of the latest model heavy-duty trucks to donate to the country. These are urgently needed supplies; you must report this to your superiors immediately," Xiao Qiang said, summoning his courage and strengthening his tone.

Seeing that he didn't seem to be joking—and noting that he was wearing a stylish suit and tie, and driving a silver-gray car the guard had never seen before—the guard figured he must be a wealthy man.

"Then I'll take you inside."

He led Xiao Qiang to the reception room beside the government hall.

The honest guard said to Xiao Qiang

"Wait here a moment, I’m going to notify the leadership."

Soon, a middle-aged man in a military uniform walked out. He shook hands with Xiao Qiang in a friendly manner and asked

"Hello, I heard you have trucks to donate to the government?"

"Yes, I wish to speak with Mayor Nie Rongzhen in person," Xiao Qiang said firmly.

"What model are the trucks? What is their condition?"

"The latest models, which the imperialist powers have placed an embargo on for our country. Top-tier technology, brand new," Xiao Qiang said proudly.

Hearing this, the soldier’s eyes widened as he re-examined Xiao Qiang. His expression was clearly excited, yet mixed with skepticism. He quickly asked

"Are you sure? Where are the trucks? Take me to see them."

"The trucks are parked in the southern suburbs. I can only feel at ease handing them over to the country once I have met Marshal Nie," Xiao Qiang replied without hesitation.

The soldier was still somewhat doubtful, but Xiao Qiang’s tone and demeanor convinced him by seven or eight parts. The young man dressed like a wealthy boss didn't look like he was lying.

"I will go report this to Mayor Nie. Please wait here for a moment, sir," he said politely.

After a short while, a refined man in a military uniform walked toward Xiao Qiang with a smile, his brisk pace followed by the previous officer and an orderly.

"Hello, I am Nie Rongzhen. I heard you have 50 trucks to donate to the country? I haven't met you before, may I ask your name?" As he spoke, the Marshal extended his right hand toward Xiao Qiang.

Looking at the face that was identical to the photos he had seen online in the future, Xiao Qiang was incredibly moved. It was Marshal Nie! The Marshal with achievements as high as mountains! One of the founders of the Republic, who would later become one of the Ten Marshals of New China in 1955, and one of the leaders and founders of the Republic’s "Two Bombs, One Satellite" project! Although he had prepared his opening lines beforehand, seeing the man in person made him forget everything he had planned to say.

Xiao Qiang excitedly leaned forward and extended both hands to shake the Marshal’s. Unaccustomed to such situations, he stumbled over his words

"Marshal Nie... Uncle Nie... Mayor Nie... Hello... My name is Cao Xiaoqiang. I am a businessman. I have 50 of the latest high-tech heavy-duty trucks to donate to the country. The trucks are excellent, truly excellent. Brand new, 420 horsepower, rated load of over eighteen tons, diesel engine, eleven-liter displacement, top speed of up to 110 kilometers per hour!"

"Oh!"

Marshal Nie looked carefully at the young man in front of him with surprise. Well-traveled and knowledgeable, though not a car enthusiast, he understood the basics of automobiles. The best trucks currently in the country were the Soviet GAZ—the prototype for the domestically produced Jiefang brand—which only had a load capacity of 6 tons and a top speed of just over 60 kilometers per hour. If this young man wasn't lying, he must be mentally unstable. But he didn't look like he was lying, and if he were unstable, it would have been exposed earlier; Secretary Fan wouldn't have let him meet with him.

"Where are the trucks? Can you take me to see them?" Marshal Nie asked refinedly.

Xiao Qiang immediately replied: "They are parked in the outskirts of Beijing. I can drive you there, Mayor Nie."

After a moment’s hesitation, Marshal Nie instructed Secretary Fan: "Prepare the car. Let’s go see the trucks Mr. Cao is donating."

Cao Xiaoqiang led the way, and the three cars soon arrived at the teleportation point in the outskirts. Xiao Qiang stepped out and stood quietly to the side, waiting for the Marshal’s instructions.

Marshal Nie pushed the door open and stepped out. Looking at the vast expanse of bright red, imposing heavy-duty trucks lined up neatly, his excitement and awe were evident. Seeing them up close was far more impressive than viewing them from a distance inside the car.

"Good! What large trucks! They are truly magnificent! This is the first time I’ve seen trucks this big and long. Old Chiang’s American-aid Dodge trucks and the Soviet GAZ trucks are far inferior to these! Good heavens, at first I was a bit skeptical, but now I believe it! Mr. Cao, your contribution to the country is immense."

Xiao Qiang immediately replied: "Mayor Nie, please just call me Little Cao. Please don't call me Mr. Cao; I am a junior and cannot bear such a title. Regarding these trucks and my background, I must report to you in private. I believe this should be considered classified."

Marshal Nie withdrew his gaze from the trucks and stared intently at Xiao Qiang

"Very well. Return to my office, and we will talk in private. On the way back, I will ride in your car!"

As he spoke, Marshal Nie actually got into Xiao Qiang’s car. Secretary Fan quickly arranged for a driver to come over. Marshal Nie sat in the second row, Xiao Qiang sat beside him, Secretary Fan sat in the back, the Marshal’s driver took the wheel, and the Marshal’s personal guard sat in the front passenger seat. The other two black sedans that had accompanied them returned with another driver and a guard who knew how to drive, leaving one guard behind to watch the trucks.

The Marshal’s driver was a bit nervous at first, as this was clearly a vehicle model he had never driven before, but soon he became very excited, his hands shifting gears with vigor.

Marshal Nie clearly noticed the driver’s excitement

"Little Zhang, is this car good?"

"It’s great! The car is spacious and beautiful inside and out, the handling is nimble, and the acceleration feels wonderful. It really is a great car! I wonder what brand this is? Where was it made?"

"This car is called a Haima, it’s a microvan."

The driver surnamed Zhang said in surprise: "A van? This is my first time hearing that, but it’s a fitting name. Doesn't the car look just like a loaf of bread?"

Xiao Qiang did not answer where the car was manufactured. Marshal Nie seemed to realize something and narrowed his eyes in thought.

The conversation that followed in Marshal Nie’s office was later classified as top secret by the Republic, accessible only to those designated by the Chairman. The talk lasted until after twelve noon. Several black sedans drove out from the municipal government and headed straight for Zhongnanhai.

Serious and earnest people in the city began to work intensely. A large number of armed troops surrounded the fifty heavy-duty trucks at the teleportation point, and several experts began to dismantle and inspect one of them. The FAW Haima microvan that Xiao Qiang had parked at the municipal government entrance was also towed away by a truck carrying armed soldiers. A young couple bought 15 watches of various styles at Hengdeli in one go, only to hand them over to a gray-clothed man sitting in a sedan at the street corner after leaving—the very same distinguished guest who had bought watches at the Delong firm. In a courtyard in Beiping, mysterious radio waves suddenly appeared, lasted for a while, and then fell silent. Several black sedans drove into Peking University and left quickly, seemingly having picked up some important figures...

Everything happening in Beiping at this moment was like a massive vortex, and the central figure of this vortex was currently in the Chrysanthemum Fragrance Study at Fengzeyuan in Zhongnanhai, accompanying a fifty-six-year-old man in conversation. Regarding this man, some have evaluated him as follows

"Modern national leaders do not embody a philosophy. They merely solve problems, such as economic, social, military, and so on. The French, however, believe he embodies a philosophy and strives to put it into action. This is our understanding of politics. The revolution we carried out in 1789 was for the sake of a philosophy. We clearly recognize that his ideology is also leading China toward a philosophy—that is, giving the Chinese people the greatest power and the highest status." — Former French President Valéry Giscard d'Estaing

"Despite the failures and setbacks that once existed, the conclusion that his era was the period of China’s modern industrial revolution is inevitable. China, long scorned as the 'Sick Man of Asia,' began in the early 1950s with an industrial scale smaller than that of Belgium, yet by the end of his era, it emerged as one of the six largest industrial powers in the world." — American scholar Maurice Meisner

"(We) met in his study. It was a simply furnished room, surrounded by books and the documents he was working on. I mention his personal lifestyle because, undoubtedly, hundreds of millions of Chinese people feel that he lived the same daily life as they did." — Former British Prime Minister Edward Heath

"His life, perhaps more than anyone else’s, has generated a strong and growing revolutionary demand among the world’s poor. He launched a global struggle." — Julie Nixon Eisenhower, daughter of Richard Nixon

"He was one of the greatest leaders of the 20th century." — Former Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau

In the photos of his meeting with Nixon, one can see that Nixon’s demeanor was as respectful as a primary school student in front of a teacher.

When Japanese Prime Minister Kakuei Tanaka commented on world leaders to his daughter in private, he was very dismissive of the leaders of the superpower Soviet Union, Brezhnev and Kosygin, but revered him as a saint.

There were many, many more such sentiments...