Then let them offer their loyalty!

Page 427

"Sending him down to Dongye Prefecture was partly intended to give him some experience and refinement. I just didn't expect that you would be able to draw so much of his attention away from him."

“I criticized him on the way here. From now on, his focus will be on the state.”

"Moreover... he has a plan for expanding the disaster zone, which is very likely to be approved. You can keep an eye on it and see if there are any plans, so you can accumulate experience and merits."

Although what Mr. Tang said seemed to jump around and be quite whimsical, upon closer examination, one would find that every single thing was interconnected.

"Pushing Feifei to the forefront while you secretly develop yourself is actually a very smart move."

"The tallest tree in the forest is bound to be felled by the wind. Even Feifei might suffer some backlash for such a great achievement, let alone you."

"So... let's play it safe for a while, accumulate experience and merits, and then we can get promoted without drawing attention."

Upon hearing Tang Lao's words, Qiu Tu knew that... Tang Lao was both giving him advice and making a promise to him.

So he said in a low voice, "Yes, Mr. Tang."

After saying that, he tactfully added, "Then I will definitely come to bother you during the New Year."

Upon hearing Qiu Tu's words, Old Tang smiled and nodded.

Then he didn't say anything more, just waved his hand and said, "Alright. Go check on Feifei."

"She should have finished asking her questions by now."

"Yes," Qiu Tu replied, then stepped out of the garden.

Perhaps due to the difference in status, or perhaps due to the difference in strength. Although Old Tang was incredibly gentle throughout, Qiu Tu still found his palms sweaty after leaving the Sky Garden.

He slightly shuddered the cataclysmic power within him, evaporating the sweat. He stood in the corridor for a few seconds before pacing back toward Tang Feifei's interrogation room.

His performance against Old Tang this time wasn't actually that good. But... it wasn't bad either.

Because... right now, Old Tang is clearly also evaluating him. If he comes in completely open and honest, Old Tang won't really think he's a sincere person; instead, he'll think he's cunning and even scheming against Old Tang.

On the contrary, Qiu Tu made a few minor mistakes, but he humbly accepted them, which made him more trustworthy to the second-in-command of the shelter.

This is probably why Tang gave Qiu Tu some pointers in the end, and officially began to include Qiu Tu in the "future core" assessment list...

And then he thought that with the Tang family's support, his position as vice speaker should be secure; plus, with Lariluo and the "Yellow Demon" mother and daughter providing a steady stream of credit, becoming a high-ranking member of the shelter should only be a matter of time; Qiu Tu felt much more at ease...

Indeed, it's good to have a big tree to lean on.

Hopefully, this big tree can truly protect me forever, at least until I've fully developed...

Thinking this, Qiu Tu also stepped towards Tang Feifei's interrogation room...

........

Meanwhile, on the 12th floor, in the sky garden.

Old Tang was dressed in a well-fitting Zhongshan suit, his figure upright. A few shallow wrinkles on his forehead recorded the hardships and traces of time.

He stood with his hands behind his back, gazing at the rising sun, but his mind was filled with all the conversations he had with Qiu Tu.

To be honest, he actually quite liked Qiu Tu. Otherwise, he wouldn't have deliberately let Qiu Tu ride in his carriage to promote Qiu Tu in Dongye Prefecture.

The promotion to deputy speaker requires a gradual process. Reputation, merit, respect from below, and recognition from above are all indispensable.

Especially for Qiu Tu, who has a shallow background, it is even more necessary to proceed step by step.

During his interactions with Qiu Tu, he had a fairly good impression of him. He was a bit calculating and cunning, but not inherently bad.

Those schemes and scheming are just means for those struggling in this world, and they can all be changed over time.

That's why he was willing to give Qiu Tu a chance, to help Qiu Tu out, and to see how far Qiu Tu could go.

The only thing that left him somewhat uncertain was just how many secrets Qiu Tu was hiding.

He was certain that Qiu Tu was the first area master of the Eighth Shelter. And Qiu Tu also acknowledged this.

But actually... what he didn't say was that he also suspected Qiu Tu was actually the so-called "mysterious person" who discovered the truth about "Huang Mei".

Although at the time, Qiu Tu deliberately admitted that he was a "mysterious person" and revealed his true identity, allowing Tang Lao to see through his deception.

Afterwards, when the other speakers doubted Qiu Tu's identity, Old Tang also told them about it, dispelling their speculations.

But to be honest... Tang Lao was mostly just cooperating with Qiu Tu's performance.

Just like the "razor theory" that the advisor mentioned in the conference room.

This is also a method that Mr. Tang often uses when analyzing a matter.

Rather than believing that a mysterious figure suddenly appeared and interrogated "Larilu," providing Qiu Tu with a method to become the regional lord and uncovering the truth behind the "Yellow Phantom" incident...

It's better to believe that this person never existed. Or rather, that this person is Qiu Tu.

'Interrogating the evil god... and extracting sufficiently valuable information from him...'

'In that case... Qiu Tu's value to the entire shelter, and even the entire "human camp," is immense...'

'But...this also means that he secretly used a trick to release the evil god...'

'This problem could be big or small...'

Thinking this, Old Tang's gaze deepened, as if piercing through the boundaries of time and space, landing on the entire territory of the shelter, quietly pondering this momentous matter concerning the future of the Eighth Shelter...

........

The Tang family's style of doing things may indeed be inherited from one another. Tang Feifei is known for her swift and decisive actions, while Old Master Tang is even more so.

After confirming the existence of "Huang Mei," questioning Tang Feifei, and investigating Qiu Tu, he didn't even rest before preparing to head back.

This "special forces trip" caught Wong Sheung-chung, who had just returned to Dongcheng, off guard. He almost rushed back to the New Territories City, but was stopped by Old Tang.

Before leaving, Mr. Tang was surrounded by senior members of the Investigation Bureau as he departed from the Bureau.

Standing at the entrance of the Investigation Bureau, Old Tang stopped and looked at Qiu Tu beside him. He gently patted Qiu Tu's shoulder and said, "Chief Qiu, you've done a great job. Keep up the good work."

After those words were spoken, the room fell silent...

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Two chapters, 10,000 words each! Please vote with monthly tickets!

Chapter 418 Promotion to State Assemblyman for Dong Yeh! (10,000 words, please vote!)

What is Mr. Tang's identity?

One of the founders of the Eighth Shelter, the number two figure, the head of the "Fengtian Clique," in charge of multiple areas including the Eighth Shelter's economy, administration, and people's livelihood.

He was truly second only to the emperor, above all others.

Such important figures are usually only seen on television or in newspapers by high-ranking officials in various cities.

When the Supreme Council meets, Old Tang always sits in the secondary seat, but now everyone present, including Tang Feifei, can't even get into the meeting room...

Such truly important figures have a huge impact on those below them with every word they utter.

Moreover, such a high praise!

So, at that moment, Ellie, Ji Qinglin, Shi Youxin, and even Lü Cheng all felt a sudden darkness before their eyes.

Mr. Tang traveled a long way from the shelter and headed straight for the New Territories.

I spent one night in the New Territories, and ended up spending 80% of that time with Qiu Tu. I didn't even see anyone else.

When he met Qiu Tu on the way, he let Qiu Tu ride in his car, and before leaving, he praised Qiu Tu.

This is practically a golden statue for Qiu Tu!

Unless Qiu Tu has done something utterly heinous, who would dare to touch him?

Moreover... now the attention of all the important figures in the 16 cities of Dongyezhou is almost entirely focused on the New Territories.

This scene, which is happening in a public place, will surely spread rapidly before long.

At that time, Qiu Tu's reputation and influence in Dongye Prefecture will reach a new peak.

If things are like this in Tung Yip Chau, then the situation in the New Territories, especially the New Territories Exploration Department, is even worse.

The group even seemed to see Qiu Tu on the day he dominated the entire New Territories City...

'They're not giving us a single chance!' Among the group, Lü Cheng, the most intelligent of them all, was practically grinding his teeth to powder.

Even though he had discovered many problems with Qiu Tu in the past two days, big or small, it all became useless when Old Tang made this "affirmation"!

Going after Qiu Tu now would be tantamount to slapping Old Tang in the face, wouldn't it?

Let alone a mere Special Operations Department Director like him, even Huang Shangzong wouldn't dare to provoke this tiger.

Of course, these are all thoughts from higher-ups who are at odds with Qiu Tu.

When high-ranking officials like Guan Xiao and Chen Feng, who were close to Qiu Tu, saw this scene, their eyes burned with desire.

Who wouldn't want the person they follow to achieve great success?

Haven't you ever heard of "when one person attains enlightenment, even their chickens and dogs ascend to heaven"?

Qiu Tu has clearly gained Tang Lao's appreciation. If he can develop further, wouldn't that open up a path for their advancement?

Because of this ambition, Guan Xiao and Chen Feng's loyalty both increased by 5 or 6 points!

Their loyalty levels are all around 80 or 90, and it's very difficult to increase them by even one point.

This also shows how influential Tang Lao's shot was.

However, Guan Xiao and Chen Feng's loyalty suddenly increased significantly, which did not attract Qiu Tu's attention.

What caught his attention was Guan Weihua's soaring loyalty.

"Guan Weihua's loyalty has increased by 19, and his current loyalty is 58."

Guan Weihua's loyalty level was only 39 previously, which is a normal value.

This value indicates that Qiu Tu is Guan Weihua's superior, and Guan Weihua will carry out the mission diligently and obediently.

But once Qiu Tu is no longer his leader, he can no longer command him.

In other words, Guan Weihua was "loyal" to this "official position," not to Qiu Tu.

Now... the loyalty level has skyrocketed to 58 points, which means that Guan Weihua's "loyalty" has shifted from "official position" to Qiu Tu personally.

Qiu Tu would arrange for him to do things that were unrelated to his work, or even contrary to it, and he would be willing to do them.

'So, she's finally come to her senses and wants to pledge allegiance to me?'

Thinking this, Qiu Tu showed no sign of it on his face, and then gave Tang Lao a serious salute, "Please rest assured, Speaker, I will definitely do my best."

"Hmm." Old Tang nodded in satisfaction upon hearing this. Then he got into the car.

The convoy started and headed towards the outskirts of the New Territories.

Watching the departing figures of Tang Lao's convoy, Qiu Tu felt a surge of pride.

Although he sacrificed a precious "Yellow Spirit", it seems that the gains far outweigh the losses.

The two instances of momentum that Tang Lao created for him will become his valuable political capital, laying a solid foundation for him to embark on the path of becoming the deputy speaker!

Moreover, Tang's visit will completely stabilize the previously somewhat unstable Investigation Bureau.

Even... in the short term, Committee Member Jiang of the City Hall and Colonel Lin Chuan of the Military Headquarters will be suppressed by Qiu Tu.

It can be said that Qiu Tu's reputation and influence are now at the pinnacle of the New Territories!

But... that's not all.

Perhaps Tang Lao's political statements were really too influential, because the meeting originally scheduled to add Qiu Tu as a "Member of the Dongye State Assembly" in half a month was convened ahead of schedule.

Huang Shangzong casually found a reason to summon the councilors who had failed to receive the emperor and were preparing to return to their respective cities, and then held an emergency meeting.

The meeting covered recent economic and military developments in Dongye State, Huang Shangzong's "Disaster Zone Infiltration Plan," and... what seemed like an add-on but was actually the most important "member of parliament" addition plan.

Dongye State comprises 16 cities. When Dongye State was established, the heads of the three major institutions in each of these 16 cities automatically became members of the State Legislative Assembly, totaling 48 members.

Among them, Li Tingdong, Ye Mingfeng, and Liu Xiongyuan became vice speakers.

Those who succeed them are not appointed as members of parliament.

Therefore, there are only 45 members of parliament left.

Following the inspection tour by the four speakers, some job adjustments were made to the 45 members of Congress. Three members were transferred to other states, and one member was transferred to a shelter.

The number of members of parliament was further reduced to 41.

Qiu Tu has now been added as a legislator, becoming the 42nd legislator.