Let them offer their loyalty!
Chapter 876 - 444 Qiu Tu: Laying My Cards on the Table, I Hunted the Whale Shark! (Seeking Monthly Tickets of 10,000 words!)

Thinking this way, all 48 senior leaders of the 16 cities turned their gaze toward the Eastern City District, toward Xinjie City. They wanted to see how things would develop.

The recent curious incident in the chaotic Dongye State.

But what puzzled them was... after Qiu Tu's application was submitted, it seemed to disappear without a trace.

Whether it was Dongye State, the Sanctuary, or Xinjie City, there was no change or reaction.

Even when they tried to find out through their connections, there was still no word.

All six Speakers remained eerily silent about the matter.

Whether it was the direct and decisive Ye Mingfeng, or Dai Yukang who was deep and liked to smile;

Whether it was Tang Feifei with a strong background and a warm heart under a cold exterior, or Liu Xiongyuan who came from the bottom and was without taboos;

Whether it was... Huang Shangzong who had prejudices against Qiu Tu and was domineering, or Li Tingdong who only cared about political achievements and was completely indifferent to other matters...

None of them leaked a hint of information to the public.

This strange situation was indeed beyond the imagination of the senior leaders of the 16 cities. So it made them even more curious about the outcome of Qiu Tu's application to become Deputy Speaker...

...

Meanwhile.

While all the upper echelons of the 16 cities were focusing on this matter.

Eastern City, State Council, Speaker's Office.

Huang Shangzong was sitting on a large stainless steel chair, looking silently across the stainless steel desk at Dai Yukang.

Glancing around Huang Shangzong's office furnishings, Dai Yukang said with a smile, "Speaker, it seems like Secretary Han is really tired of procurement, having replaced all the tables and chairs in your office with stainless steel ones."

Hearing this, Huang Shangzong snorted coldly and said, "He's just being lazy. It's to make his own work easier at the expense of my office efficiency."

"When I get a chance, I'm going to smash these shoddy tables and chairs and make him replace them with mahogany."

Hearing Huang Shangzong's words, Dai Yukang's mouth curled with a smile, teasingly saying, "Then Secretary Han is going to have a headache again."

The two were clearly not having their first confidential meeting, so they appeared very familiar in private.

"Are you angry because of Qiu Tu's application to become Deputy Speaker?"

Dai Yukang took a cushion, placed it on the stainless steel chair, then sat down with a smile as he asked.

Even though the two now had a good personal relationship, Huang Shangzong obviously wouldn't leave himself exposed, so he snorted coldly, "Of course not."

"If Qiu Tu has the strength, the ability, and the merits to be promoted to Deputy Speaker, I will only welcome and congratulate him."

"But..." Huang Shangzong's voice changed as he said with a deep tone, "The timing of his application is much too deliberate."

"Applying during a time when there is intense conflict between the state and the Disaster Zone, isn't this adding to the state's troubles?"

Huang Shangzong, who was tall and sturdy, exuded an aura as deep as an abyss due to years of high position and great power.

But Dai Yukang seemed unfazed, looking at Huang Shangzong with a smile that was not a smile, he then said, "The Speaker is right."

"Qiu Tu applying for Deputy Speaker at this critical juncture does seem a bit thoughtless."

"Moreover… although he has become a Pseudo Fourth-Order Cataclysmic and his strength is not bad, both his merits and seniority are far from sufficient."

"I feel that he is far from meeting the standards for Deputy Speaker."

Hearing Dai Yukang's words, Huang Shangzong's movements paused.

He looked at Dai Yukang as if seeing him for the first time; his thick eyebrows raised on his forehead and his tiger-like eyes fixed on Dai Yukang,

"You didn't come here to advocate for him? That's somewhat unexpected to me."

"After all, just over a month ago, you publicly stood on Qiu Tu's side during the Speaker's meeting."

Huang Shangzong was clearly referring to the incident when Dai Yukang had backstabbed him by proposing to transfer Qiu Tu away.

Hearing Huang Shangzong's words, Dai Yukang immediately laughed.

He said, "In politics, there are no eternal friends, nor eternal enemies."

"It's all just a matter of interest."

He explained, "Last time, I helped Qiu Tu because I owed him a favor and needed to repay it."

"Once the favor was repaid, that matter was considered over."

"As for the Deputy Speaker issue, I am merely judging the matter as it stands."

Saying this, he looked deeply and said, "Before, I had indeed had a high opinion of Qiu Tu. I thought he was a talent that could be shaped."

"Actually, I even gave him a second identity, allowing him to take a position within the security system."

"But... his promotion has been too fast. So fast it's frightening, almost to the point of seeking quick success."

Saying this, Dai Yukang looked toward Huang Shangzong and then with a smile that was not a smile, said, "In less than a year's time, he has gone from a Level 2 Investigator to State Council Deputy Speaker."

"Such a rapid rise could be said to be unprecedented."

Seeing Huang Shangzong nodding in agreement, Dai Yukang continued to say, "So, I think for his own good, it's better to suppress him a bit..."

"Grinding him down more in the Bureau Chief position, he can fly higher in the future."

Saying this, Dai Yukang paused, then continued, "This... is also Member of Parliament Tang Jiye's view."

"It was him who contacted me directly after receiving Qiu Tu's application."

Tang Jiye is Tang Feifei's father, a member of the Supreme Sanctuary Council from the Eighth Sanctuary, a major figure within the top five of the Fengtian Faction.

However, Huang Shangzong was also a member of the Supreme Council and one of the high-level officials of the Sanctuary.

So when he heard Tang Jiye's name, although he was slightly startled, his expression did not change much.