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The entire parliamentary hall was deadly silent...

Apart from the representatives of the Huazong District, nearly everyone from the other four major districts appeared to be shocked into stillness.

Everyone knew that Huazong’s current strength was extraordinary, having in fact surpassed the original foremost district. Huazong had always been low-key and moderate and had never shown such dominance as they were now. So, for a moment, people found it both reasonable and somewhat bizarre...

"This Colonel, sir...."

Finally, after a long time, someone from the North America District could not sit still any longer, and the leading councilor stood up and said, "Please mind your language!"

"That’s something that should be said to you all..." Wu Xiaoli coldly looked at the representatives of the North America District.

"Mister Zhou, do the words of this woman represent the stance of your Huazong District?"

The elderly leader of the Huazong District did not even lift his eyelids as he responded indifferently, "Colonel Wu Xiaoli is the representative we appointed.

Since she is the representative, then naturally, what she says can represent my Huazong District.

As for you, Mister Wills, that reporter-turned-councilwoman, can her words.

.. represent your North America District? "

As the old man spoke, his previously half-closed eyes slowly opened, calmly looking at the other party. An old man’s remark, yet it made the hearts of everyone in the North America District pound fiercely!

"Mister Zhou, what are you implying?" the councilor named Wills asked through clenched teeth.

"Does Mister Wills not understand simple language?

" the elder with the surname Zhou dropped his smile, speaking sternly, "Then let this old man say it once more, can that lady represent your North America District? If not, then today only she needs to leave. If so, then please Mister Wills, take your district’s people and leave! "

Everyone: "....."

At that moment, not only were the councilors from other districts dumbfounded, but many councilors from the Huazong District itself were also stunned. They had never seen Huazong District be so blatantly aggressive when facing outsiders.

Perhaps they had been low-key for too long, and even they themselves were feeling somewhat surreal...

People from the other regions looked at the Huazong elder and then turned their gaze towards the North America District.

This time, not a single person stood with North America.

The former leader of the Western Camp, no matter how unreasonable, had always had a rallying cry.

But this time, there was no uproar, because everyone understood the consequences!

The members of the North America District had ashen faces and the atmosphere was frighteningly tense, but no matter how infuriated they were, at that moment, not a single person dared to utter a word of defiance...

The reason was quite simple, no one... wanted to give up the possibility of this... almost eternal world!

After what felt like an eternity, finally.

.. Mister Wills stood up, his face melting into a congenial smile like thawing ice and snow: "I concede that Councilwoman Averill was quite rude just now, and that was not the intention of our North America District.

She is still young and lacks experience.

We will have her step back to reflect for a bit, and we ask that Mister Zhou not take offense. "

Mister Zhou, upon hearing this, withdrew his gaze, returning to his previous semi-restful state with half-closed eyes, "Mister Wills is too polite. An old man like me is not about to hold a grudge against a young girl. Then, as you’ve said, let’s leave it at that..."

Mister Wills forced a smile again and after saying a few words, he turned back to look at Averill with a chillingly sharp glare: "Councilwoman Averill, step back and reflect for a bit."

Averill’s face turned pale. She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but then realized, all the councilors were looking at her coldly. In that moment, she understood that she... had been abandoned.

It was even possible that she would be permanently excluded from the project.

She wanted to denounce her compatriots for their spinelessness, but in the end, under the countless cold stares, she swallowed her words. She knew all too well how serious the consequences would be if she did!

In the end... Amid the cold stares of everyone, Averill left the conference room in a somewhat disheveled and stumbling manner.

"Colonel Wu..." Mister Wills looked kindly at Wu Xiaoli in the center: "Please, continue."

Wu Xiaoli frowned as she watched this group of North American councilors, thinking before that they were merely arrogant, only to realize now that she had oversimplified things.

They changed their expressions as easily as machinery, their emotions under such tight control—just a moment ago they were brimming with righteous indignation, and now.

.. each of them wore a gentle smile, as if the humiliation from before never happened.

Indeed... there are only shameless politicians, no simple ones...

"Regarding the matter of reincarnation, our original condition was to ask Chen Qing for a slot in the underworld, demanding the size of a Provincial Government Office, no smaller than Lyuzhou, Nanming Prefecture, Nanyang City, and so on, where the underworld would be under our control, becoming a base for the Federation’s Reincarnators, with future developments and expansion depending on the situation.

Chen Qing was supposed to protect us, as well as grant us certain powers, in exchange for our full support for him,"

"Oh?" Wills’s eyes lit up, and he quickly asked, "Which area would be allocated to us? If the authority over the underworld were given to us, how would you plan to distribute it?"

"Regrettably..." Wu Xiaoli shook her head, "He did not agree!"

"What??" All councilors were stunned, then became agitated.

You couldn’t persuade others, meaning you still couldn’t control them, and now you’re coming to ask us for resources?

If it hadn’t been for Huazhong’s overly assertive performance just now, if not for the project’s overwhelming allure, they would likely have turned hostile already!

"Gentlemen, please be patient..." Wu Xiaoli said calmly, "Although we haven’t nailed down this matter, he still offered other conditions. His reason for refusal was that the rules can’t be broken; there are rules within his power, and forcibly allocating an underworld position to us would not convince the masses.

Therefore, if we want a position in the underworld, we have to compete for it ourselves! "

"Compete for it ourselves?" A councilor from the Western Europe District echoed in surprise, "How do we compete?"

"This is exactly why I’ve invited you here," Wu Xiaoli said, waving her hand as the large screen appeared once again in the middle of the council chamber, displaying Jiangnan currently conducting the first selection of underworld officials!

"All positions in the underworld are tenured for only ten years, using a rotational system, very similar to our modern bureaucracy. Moreover, the qualifications for becoming an underworld administrator are quite democratic. Firstly, one must be a civil officer within Chen Qing’s forces, then they must achieve certain administrative accomplishments and reputation within the jurisdiction they manage.

Those who rank at the top can participate in the selection for underworld administrators of their main administrative area.

This is assessed by both the main underworld official in the Provincial Government Office and Chen Qing himself, and by the votes of the citizens of the Provincial Government Office! "

"Uh..." Everyone was taken aback; they didn’t expect Chen Qing to adopt their Western ballot system.

For a moment, these advocates of democracy found themselves at a loss for words!

"While this method doesn’t let us immediately have a base, it does give us more opportunities. If our people are competent, we might even have the chance to control the majority of underworld administration within Chen Qing’s powers."

"How can you be so sure?" This time, it was someone from the Huazhong District who spoke, a councilor frowning as he asked, "Can our people really secure that many positions?"

"Of course, they can!" Wu Xiaoli said confidently, "According to the intelligence, the academy established by Chen Qing is based mainly on science and engineering, and the advanced direction for magicians is also research-oriented, somewhat akin to Western alchemists.

Are our modern levels of science and engineering going to lose to those of the ancient people?

Add to that the modern advanced management thinking and administrative capabilities.

How could we not be competitive in this scenario unless we are utterly incompetent? "

"The precondition is fairness!" Wills spoke up, "We naturally trust that our people can secure their rightful positions under fair competition, but the question is... Is Chen Qing’s side fair?"

"He has to be fair since we can shut down the project at any time, and he constantly needs our support, our help to deal with those old players who have lived for countless years."

As she spoke, Wu Xiaoli pointed at the screen, "Let’s all just watch quietly for a bit. All the selections are public. I think there couldn’t be a fairer way than this..."

---------------------------------

Not only the Westerners in the council chamber but also those who had entered the game world looked with curiosity at the so-called selection conference.

In such an ancient feudal era, to see a democratic selection process was indeed a most interesting picture.

They all watched intently, knowing that if things went smoothly, one day... they too would step onto that stage and secure their rightful place using the system they knew best from the West!

"Now, please welcome the Lumings County Auxiliary Official: Liu Xie to the stage!"