Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun.

Posted on Wed Jan 25th, 2023 @ 6:47am by President 宋 梓睿 [Sòng Zǐ Ruì]
Edited on on Wed Jan 25th, 2023 @ 6:53am

Mission: September, 2022
Location: Beijing, People's Republic of China
Timeline: Date 2022-09-03 at 0900
Tags: China, PRC, Song

Sòng ZǐRuì sat silently in the armchair, leg crossed, eyes focused squarely on the two men chatting across the room from him. Normally tranquil this time of year, the Great Hall of the People was now a frenetic bustle of meetings and whispers. Five days ago, his greatness, Xi Jinping was struck with a sudden illness. Currently he was in hospital being treated- at least that was what the news currently being broadcast by the state media kept repeating. Zi Rui knew differently. Every man in this room knew differently. Xi Jinping was dead. Well, almost. After suffering a major hemorrhagic stroke, the only thing keeping him from slipping into the great beyond was medical machinery. His mind? Already dead. The rest of him would soon follow, at least once they figured out the succession.

Li Qiang had been the heir apparent. Xi’s chosen successor. However, what meaning did that have now that Xi was gone? None. To many, Zi Rui didn’t seem like the ambitious type. Cautious. Meticulous. Never one to really throw himself behind one person or another. He was a quiet patriot. It was this quiet demeanor that allowed him to thrive behind the scenes. In front of him, Zhao Leji, another Politburo Standing Committee Member was informing Li Qiang that he must resign. Not only was Xi now out of the picture, but his support was tepid, and even more- two of his staunches allies on the standing committee had suddenly died in accidents. Quite unfortunate for him.

Li threw up his hands, strain showing in the tight lines on his forehead, he whispered something heatedly to Zhao and then stormed off. The heavy patter of his footsteps echoed down the great hall as he went. When the footsteps became too faint to be heard Zhao approached Zi Rui “Hrm.” He cleared his throat and loosened his tie “Li Qiang is not pleased but he will do as asked and resign.”

“Good.” Zi Rui stood up and placed his hands on Zhao’s shoulders “you have been a good brother to me Zhao. Is everything else in place?”

Zhao nodded. Though his eyes showed uncertainty. By many standards Zi Rui was young- even at 52 many in the standing committee considered him an upstart. However, his military background gave him a hammer to wield, and he was a favorite of the Communist hawks. He had moved the pieces he needed to give himself an advantage and now he just needed to see everything through to the end. If Li Qiang did not resign, well, he would be joining Xi Jinping in the afterlife.

Three days later…

Hundreds of red banners of the People’s Republic of China fluttered against the gentle breeze in front of the Great Hall of the People. Zi Rui stood behind a wooden podium, decorated in bright red and gold. Behind him the twenty members of the Politburo Standing Committee stood solemnly. “Good evening brother and sisters” he spoke as silence washed over the crowd before him. Thousands stood waving flags while mourning the passing of their leader “as you all know, we have recently lost our beloved leader, Xi Jinping. Our hearts are heavy, and our minds are filled with sorrow. We must remember, however, that death is inevitable and will come for us all. Just as night follows day, death follows life. We must remember all the good that Xi Jinping did for our country. He was like a lighthouse, guiding us through the dark and unknown waters of the future. He was like a strong wall, shielding us from the troubles of the world. He was like a wise elder, providing us with sage advice and guidance. As we grieve his passing let us remember the encouragement and support, he provided us all with. Although our hearts may be filled with sorrow, let us also remember that Xi Jinping's legacy will live on forever. For the next two weeks let us all join together to mourn the passing of our beloved leader and honor his memory with reflection and commemoration. Thank you.”

Solemn clapping rang out through the crowd as random people shouted Xi’s name. To the people, the succession was a bit odd but nothing too out of the ordinary. Foreign media, however, had been portraying his ascension as a coup with a purge of Xi loyalist after his death. They were not wrong, but Zi Rui instructed the head of the state censors to make sure any such suggestion was filtered out and to quickly arrest anyone who would suggest such nonsense. Instead the state media was now focusing on the United States interference in Taiwan. Nothing like a good bit of patriotic vitriol to distract the people. Though, Zi Rui was determined to deal with the Taiwan situation once and for all. Turning around, he made his way back into the Great Hall of the People wearing three new titles: General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party, President of the People's Republic of China, and Chairman of the Central Military Commission.