Chapter 504 Lobbying

Dark Star.

Long Shadow led General Xinlade into the City Lord’s Mansion.

At this moment, Long Huai hurried forward, asking with an anxious expression.

“Father, how are things?”

“Let’s talk in the office!”

Long Shadow said calmly to Long Huai.

“Yes!”

Long Huai quickly responded.

Long Shadow then led Long Huai and General Xinlade to the office.

As he was about to say something, he suddenly noticed something amiss and said in a deep voice.

“Long Huai, Sinrad, you two stand guard outside the door and don’t allow anyone to approach the office.”

“Understood!”

Long Huai and Sinrad exchanged glances, then nodded in agreement.

Immediately after, the two respectfully withdrew.

“Come out!”

Long Shadow said indifferently.

At this moment, Pamier (clone) walked out from a dark corner and said hoarsely.

“Mr. Long Shadow, we meet again.”

“Lord Pamier, what brings you here? Regarding the last operation, I’ve already explained it very clearly to Kloss. It’s not that I wasn’t willing to act, but that the timing wasn’t right.”

Long Shadow looked at Pamier and explained with a smile.

“I’m not here for that. I heard you went to see Council Speaker Long Xian?”

Pamier stared at Long Shadow and asked.

Long Shadow walked to the desk and sat down, looking at Pamier with a smile and saying.

“That’s right. I know what you want to ask.”

“Then, please tell me the truth, Mr. Long Shadow.”

“Lord Pamier, although we have a cooperative relationship, this kind of intelligence is priceless. Isn’t it a bit inappropriate for you to want to know it with just a word?”

“What do you want?”

“I want weapons and materials. This request isn’t excessive, is it? Getting some weapons and materials is simply too easy for your Mechanical Clan, isn’t it?”

“Alright! But if you dare to lie to me, you know the consequences.”

Pamier said hoarsely.

“Don’t worry, what good would it do me to lie to you?”

Long Shadow said with an excited expression.

“Speak!”

Pamier asked coldly.

Long Shadow looked at Pamier and said with a smile.

“Now there’s a bad news and a good news. Which one do you want to hear first?”

Pamier’s electronic eyes flickered with unusual light, then he said hoarsely.

“Tell me the bad news first!”

“The bad news is that Council Speaker Long Xian is not dead. He still has one breath left.”

Long Shadow said with a smile.

“How is that possible? He’s not dead?”

Pamier showed a rare emotional fluctuation upon hearing Long Shadow’s words. According to his calculations, the probability of Council Speaker Long Xian’s death was almost 99.9%!

“He really isn’t dead. Not only me, but Gakels and Faraon have all seen Council Speaker Long Xian. If you don’t believe me, you can verify it.”

Long Shadow didn’t argue much and said frankly to Pamier.

“What about the good news?”

“The good news is that he hasn’t fused with that thing, and I’ve seen that thing!”

“Where?”

Pamier immediately pressed.

“You don’t need to ask about that. It’s useless even if you ask, because it was transferred immediately.”

Long Shadow explained to Pamier.

Although he cooperated with the Mechanical Clan, he had no intention of bringing down the Federation. He only wanted to ascend to power and obtain that thing.

Once he truly told the Mechanical Clan that Council Speaker Long Xian was dead, the Mechanical Race Chief would definitely lead a large army to forcefully attack the Federation. At that time, the Federation might be conquered and collapse, which was not the result he wanted.

But if Council Speaker Long Xian was not dead, even if he only had one breath left, the Mechanical Race Chief would not dare to act rashly.

Because Council Speaker Long Xian might be waiting for them to come in, ready to take them all with him.

“Mr. Long Shadow, I hope you can help us investigate the whereabouts of that thing. Our Mechanical Clan will not treat you unfairly. As for Council Speaker Long Xian, you don’t have to worry. As you said, he only has one breath left and won’t last much longer! Moreover, our Race Chief is about to complete his evolution, and once the evolution is complete, even Council Speaker Long Xian will not be his opponent.”

Pamier said to Long Shadow in a deep voice.

“No problem.”

Long Shadow agreed with a smile.

“Then I’ll take my leave first.”

Pamier turned and left the office.

Long Shadow looked at Pamier’s retreating figure, revealing a brilliant smile.

At this moment, Sinrad walked in and respectfully said to Long Shadow.

“Sir, these Mechanical Clan members don’t have good intentions.”

“I know, we are just using each other. Let’s not worry about them for now. The most urgent task now is to prepare for the general election. We must win this general election.”

Long Shadow said with determination.

Although this general election was outwardly said to be for selecting an acting Council Speaker, Long Shadow knew better than anyone that as long as he won the general election, he could not only successfully ascend to power but also obtain that thing.

“Sir, this general election may not be that easy. If you rely solely on yourself, it will be difficult to win against Lord Long Bai, after all, he has the support of City Lord Gakels.”

Sinrad said with some concern.

“Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing. You just need to do your best to help me get votes.”

Long Shadow replied confidently.

“Yes!”

Sinrad replied respectfully.

—

Starlight City City Lord’s Mansion · Office.

Lord Long Bai, City Lord Gakels, Vice City Lord Okens, Su Ming, and Feilong gathered together.

“Now that the internal crisis has been temporarily suppressed, what we need to do next is to fully support Lord Long Bai in winning the general election.”

Gakels said in a deep voice.

“Lord Gakels, winning the general election might not be that easy, right? I’m a bit confused, why didn’t Council Speaker Long Xian directly appoint Lord Long Bai to take over? That would save a lot of trouble.”

Okins asked, puzzled, upon hearing this.

Su Ming’s mouth twitched slightly after hearing Okins’ words. He really wanted to tell Okins that it wasn’t that Council Speaker Long Xian was unwilling to appoint Lord Long Bai, but that he couldn’t.

At this moment, Lord Long Bai spoke indifferently.

“If we do that, no one will be convinced. Only by defeating all opponents honorably will everyone be convinced.”

“Lord Long Bai is right, but Lord Gakels, is Lord Long Bai’s support from you not enough?”

Su Ming turned to Gakels and asked.

“Not enough, far from it. Currently, those who will participate in the general election include City Lord Faraon, City Lord Alicia, and also people from the Long Family! City Lord Faraon and City Lord Alicia are still manageable, I’m quite confident I can surpass them. The biggest problem lies with the Long Family, especially Lord Long Chen!”

Gakels said with a tight frown.

“Lord Long Chen? Can he compare to Lord Long Bai?”

Feilong asked with an incredulous look.

Gakels sighed and explained.

“He can, and even far surpasses the young lady. The general election, to put it plainly, is about connections, relationships, and money. The young lady’s main power lies in holding elite troops and weapons, which don’t provide many votes. Unless you want to resort to force, but that would be meaningless.”

“This…”

“Also, the young lady rarely shows herself in public and isn’t good at socializing, so she won’t deliberately cultivate these things. But Lord Long Chen is different. Don’t underestimate him. As the Federation’s number one arms dealer, he has money and connections. The most important point is that he is much older than Lord Long Bai, several hundred years old, which means he started building connections before Lord Long Bai was even born. In these hundreds of years, no one knows how far he has expanded his network through marriage, money, and power. Maybe someone around us is connected to him!”

“Then what should we do?”

Feilong felt a headache coming on.

Vice City Lord Okens also said helplessly.

“Sigh, what else can we do? Of course, we have to find ways to get votes. The Federation has a total of 12,000 valid seats, most of which are held by administrative officials in the ten major planets, and some by the military! In simple terms, all the votes are basically divided up. If the Long Shadow three siblings unite, the votes we have definitely won’t be able to compete with them, unless we can persuade Sky Dome City and Rainy City to withdraw and support Lord Long Bai. Only then can we be sure of victory.”

“That difficulty might be a bit high, right? City Lord Faraon’s personality definitely won’t withdraw. As for City Lord Alicia? Oh right, Su Ming, aren’t you on good terms with her? Today on the Gray Mist, I even saw her talking and laughing with you. Why don’t you try to persuade City Lord Alicia?”

Feilong looked at Su Ming with anticipation and said.

Su Ming’s face immediately darkened when he heard Feilong’s words. This guy really knows how to bring up what shouldn’t be brought up. Then he said irritably.

“Old Fei, I don’t have that much influence to make City Lord Alicia withdraw and cast her vote for Lord Long Bai. That’s for the election of the Council Speaker.”

“Others might not be able to, but maybe you can. You just sacrifice for Lord Long Bai…”

Feilong stopped halfway through his sentence when he saw Lord Long Bai looking at him coldly, and quickly shut his mouth.

For a moment, everyone fell silent, and the entire office became quiet.

At this moment, Gakels sighed and said to Lord Long Bai.

“Young lady, leave the matter of the votes to me. I will do everything I can to secure them.”

“Alright.”

Lord Long Bai nodded slightly in response.

“I will also try my best to help get votes.”

Su Ming said in a deep voice.

“Okay, that settles it. Let’s act quickly!”

Gakels said to Su Ming and the others.

“Yes!”

Su Ming and the others nodded in response.

—

Three days later, City of Sin · Interstellar Airport.

The Destroyer · Tianlan slowly landed at its designated berth.

Long Shadow boarded the Destroyer, and soldiers along the way respectfully saluted and greeted him.

“Lord Long Shadow!”

Long Shadow walked straight inside and soon arrived at a luxurious hall.

He saw Lord Long Chen and Dragon Lan sitting on luxurious chairs.

Long Shadow walked straight over and sat down.

Click!

The door of the hall closed. There was no one else here except the three of them.

“Alright, everyone’s here. Let’s discuss the general election.”

Lord Long Chen said in a deep voice.

“Alright.”

Long Shadow and Dragon Lan nodded with serious expressions.

“In this election, if there are no surprises, our biggest competitor will be Lord Long Bai. Although Lord Long Bai hasn’t managed her connections very well and doesn’t have many votes apart from those from the military, Gakels is determined to support her. If we three siblings cannot unite, then we have no chance of winning. You should know that Gakels has been in the position of City Lord of Starlight City for so many years, and it wasn’t for nothing!”

Lord Long Chen said in a deep voice.

“Third Brother, what you’re saying is too formal. We are blood brothers. When Dragon Lan and I came to find you, we already made it very clear. As long as you are willing to stand up for the Long Family, I will absolutely unconditionally support your ascension. You are the rightful heir of the Long Family! The position of Federation Council Speaker should rightfully be yours.”

Long Shadow said to Lord Long Chen with genuine emotion.

In fact, it wasn’t that Long Shadow didn’t want Lord Long Chen and Dragon Lan to support him, but that they wouldn’t agree. Therefore, he planned to retreat to advance. As long as the Council Speaker’s position didn’t fall into Lord Long Bai’s hands, he would have a chance to get that thing.

But if the Council Speaker’s position fell to Lord Long Bai, with her talent and strength, he would truly have no chance at all.

“Fifth Brother, you’re right. I’m also willing to support you!”

Dragon Lan’s expression changed for a moment, then she spoke up to express her stance.

Lord Long Chen took a deep breath, looked at Long Shadow and Dragon Lan, and said with some emotion.

“Honestly, I’m not really interested in this position myself, but Father is gone, and as his eldest son, I should stand up and take on this responsibility.”

“Third Brother, we understand!”

“That’s right!”

Long Shadow and Dragon Lan nodded.

“Alas, if Dragon White were a man, I wouldn’t want to compete with her. After all, her talent is quite good. But now, no matter what, she is a woman, and I cannot allow the Long Family to have even a slight deviation. Moreover, historically, no woman has ever ascended to power in the Long Family.”

Lord Long Chen said with a serious expression.

“Third Brother is right. This concerns the Long Family’s millennium foundation, so no amount of caution is excessive. But I’m afraid there might be problems during the election, as Dragon White and her supporters won’t just sit idly by!”

Long Shadow said with some concern.

“No matter, we still have plenty of time to lobby. As long as we can persuade City Lord Alicia and City Lord Faraon to stand with us, we will surely win!”

Lord Long Chen said with great confidence.

“The problem is, they are both candidates, aren’t they? Will they stand with us?”

Dragon Lan asked with some worry.

“Nothing is impossible in this world. And even if we can’t persuade them, as long as we ensure they run independently, we’ve already won!”

Lord Long Chen said decisively.

“Good!”

Long Shadow and Dragon Lan immediately nodded in agreement.

—

Starlight City.

General Su Ming walked down the street, where all the holographic projection advertisements had been replaced with election campaign videos.

A short-haired, intellectually dressed female host in a professional suit politely interviewed the famous politician, Mr. Nanyam.

“Mr. Nanyam, what are your thoughts on this election?”

“This election will give birth to a new acting Council Speaker, and the Federation will end its top-level vacancy and usher in a new era. I am very optimistic about this election.”

“And what are your views and evaluations of the participants in this election?”

“Every candidate in this election is exceptionally outstanding.”

Many passersby occasionally stopped to watch the election campaign video.

At this moment, the projection advertisement on the surface of a towering building displayed Dragon White’s campaign image.

In the image, she wore a dark blue starry gown, her light purple hair tied up with an exquisite golden phoenix hairpin, and a silver metal mask on her face, exuding elegance and intellect.

General Su Ming couldn’t help but stop, gazing up at her virtual campaign image, lost in thought.

After a long while, General Su Ming sighed with emotion.

“Alas, this path is destined to be difficult!”

Then he turned and left.

L1 District · Su Family Castle.

General Su Ming walked into the castle, and along the way, the maids respectfully bowed.

“Young Master Su Ming, you’ve returned.”

Butler Xilun greeted him respectfully.

“Hmm, is Grandfather and the others here?”

General Su Ming asked calmly.

“Yes, they are all in the old master’s study. I’ll take you there.”

Butler Xilun quickly led General Su Ming towards the study.

Not long after, General Su Ming and Xilun arrived at the study door, which was ajar. Before they could enter, they heard a pleading voice from inside.

“Old Master, please save Su Ya. He truly knows he made a mistake!”

“Damn it, if knowing you made a mistake was enough, then there would be no need for people to die in this world!”

Su Mulong slammed the desk in a fit of rage.

General Su Ming was also a bit surprised, then gently reached out and knocked on the door.

Thump, thump!

“Come in!”

Su Mulong heard the knocking and roared angrily.

Su Zhentian and the others all looked towards the door, very curious as to who would come to court trouble at this time.

Creak~

At this moment, the door was pushed open.

General Su Ming walked in and greeted Su Mulong and the others.

“Grandfather, Father…”

“Su Ming, you’re back. Come and sit.”

Su Mulong saw that it was General Su Ming who entered, and his anger immediately subsided. He raised his hand and gestured for him to come over.

At this moment, Butler Xilun, who was following behind General Su Ming, quickly moved to the side and pulled up a chair for General Su Ming.

General Su Ming didn’t stand on ceremony and sat down on the chair.

He then noticed that the person pleading was a woman dressed in luxurious clothes and with a beautiful appearance. If he remembered correctly, this woman seemed to be Chen Qingqian, the wife of Deputy Patriarch Su Feng’s second son.

At this time, Su Feng’s face was also extremely grim, but he dared not say a word.

For a moment, the entire study fell silent.

Seeing this, General Su Ming opened his mouth and asked.

“Grandfather, what happened?”

“That brat Su Ya, wasn’t he serving in the defense forces stationed in Starlight City? On the day the Mechanical Clan invaded, that scoundrel actually got dead drunk with other officers while on duty! Now the Council has begun a thorough investigation into the attack, and Su Ya was arrested and sentenced to death!”

Su Mulong said, seething with anger.

General Su Ming was also a bit speechless after hearing Su Mulong’s words.

In fact, although the Federation couldn’t completely prevent the Mechanical Race’s invasion, it did have various preventive measures.

The security in Starlight City that day was indeed problematic. Many defensive weapons only successfully switched over when the battle was almost over, which clearly indicated someone was derelict in their duty.

At this moment, Su Feng bit the bullet and said to Su Mulong.

“Father, that brat Su Ya is indeed useless, but this matter can’t be entirely blamed on him. Third Planet hasn’t been attacked like this for a hundred years; who would have thought this would happen?”

“Shut up! How dare you still plead for him? His dereliction of duty is because you indulged him. Do you know how many people in the Federation died because of his foolish actions? His mistakes were compensated by how many people risking their lives. Have you forgotten that day when we all went up to fight with our lives?”

Su Mulong scolded Su Feng harshly.

“Father, you’re right, but he’s also my son. Su Yuan is already dead, I can’t just watch him die too.”

Su Feng said in a low voice to Su Mulong.

Su Mulong fell silent for a moment when Su Feng mentioned Su Yuan’s father, but he finally spoke.

“I can’t do anything about this. Starlight City was breached, someone has to be responsible.”

Su Feng’s expression grew even more despondent upon hearing Su Mulong’s words.

At this moment, Chen Qingqian looked at General Su Ming, her face streaked with tears, and pleaded.

“Nephew Su Ming, please save Su Ya, okay? Your military rank is so high, and you’ve rendered great service this time; they will definitely give you face.”

For a moment, everyone looked at General Su Ming.

“Nonsense! How can you let Su Ming do such a thing? That’s just pouring dirty water on him.”

Su Mulong immediately scolded angrily.

General Su Ming looked at the scene before him and calmly said.

“Aunt, what Uncle Su Ya committed is not a small crime; being sentenced to death is not unfair at all. I also cannot save him; there’s no way to account for the fallen personnel that way.”

“Su Ming, please save him. I am willing to use all my savings to compensate the families of the fallen personnel.”

Chen Qingqian pleaded with General Su Ming.

General Su Ming was also a bit troubled for a moment; he currently needed the Su Family’s support. If he didn’t show any favor, it would be difficult to broach the subject, so he reluctantly said.

“How about this, I’ll speak to Vice City Lord Okens and see if we can spare Su Ya’s life. But even if he miraculously survives, he must be held responsible for the mistakes he committed, so for the rest of his life, he can only reflect and repent in prison.”

“Good, as long as he’s alive.”

Chen Qingqian replied excitedly.

“Alright, stop crying here, go on down!”

Su Mulong said to Chen Qingqian.

“Yes.”

Chen Qingqian then wiped her tears and left.

At this moment, Su Mulong turned his head to General Su Ming and said.

“Su Ming, why are you suddenly back? Is something the matter?”

“Yes, Grandfather!”

General Su Ming didn’t hide anything.

“Speak!”

Su Mulong said calmly.

“It’s like this, the Federation is about to have a general election, Grandfather, can you support Lord Long Bai?”

General Su Ming requested of Su Mulong.

As one of the seven major arms dealers in the Federation, the Su Family’s strength should not be underestimated, and they could influence many people.

Su Mulong was stunned when he heard General Su Ming’s words; he hadn’t expected General Su Ming to return to discuss this matter.

However, before Su Mulong could speak, Vice Patriarch Su Tianhao directly stepped forward and strongly objected.

“Father, I think Su Ming’s request is inappropriate.”

General Su Ming looked at Su Tianhao with some surprise, not expecting him to directly step out and object.

“Why is it inappropriate?”

Su Mulong asked with a deep frown.

“Father, first of all, let’s not even mention your good relationship with Lord Long Chen. Let’s talk about the current situation. Although Lord Long Bai is powerful, she may not necessarily ascend to power. Taking sides has always been a fatal matter; once we choose the wrong side, the Su Family will be in trouble. This is gambling the entire Su Family’s future! To put it bluntly, we should wait until that day to see who wins and then support them. If worst comes to worst, abstaining is also fine!”

Su Tianhao said to Su Mulong.

Su Yiyang and the others listened to Su Tianhao’s words, and their expressions were all very solemn; in a sense, what Su Tianhao said was not wrong.

General Su Ming did not try to persuade or argue, as Su Tianhao was right; this was indeed a high-stakes gamble.

At this moment, Su Mulong also spoke unhappily.

“Damn it, am I that kind of fickle person? Still waiting to see who wins to support them? I personally think highly of Dragon White; she truly has ability, and I trust Su Ming’s judgment, so you don’t need to say anything more about this. I’ve decided to fully support Dragon White!”

Although Su Tianhao and the others were very annoyed to hear Su Mulong say this, there was nothing they could do.

“Thank you, Grandfather.”

General Su Ming replied with a slight sigh of relief.

“Why thank me among family? Do whatever you want to do! The Su Family is your strong backing!”

Su Mulong said to General Su Ming.

“Alright, then I’ll be leaving now.”

General Su Ming said to Su Mulong.

“Go ahead!”

Su Mulong nodded.

General Su Ming bowed to Su Mulong and the others, then turned and left.

—

Several hours later.

Rainy City Central Station.

An ultra-high-speed train approached from a distance and stopped at Platform 1.

Click!

The door opened.

General Su Ming stepped off the train and followed the many passengers towards the exit.

Although Feilong had suggested in the City Lord’s office that he go to lobby City Lord Alicia, that suggestion was quite absurd.

But after thinking about it, General Su Ming realized that if he wanted to help Dragon White win, he really had to try.

However, the thought of having to make an exorbitant demand of Alicia soon made General Su Ming’s head ache.

He himself felt it was too much; he had already swindled a large sum of money from her in the Tidal Star Sea, and now he was doing it again.

“Alas~”

General Su Ming sighed deeply.

Soon after, General Su Ming appeared at the main entrance of the Rainy City City Lord’s Mansion.

The entire City Lord’s Mansion was located in the center of Rainy City, covering a total area of fifty square kilometers. Various precious green plants were cultivated inside, resembling a vibrant forest.

In the center of the forest stood a magnificent castle.

The entire castle was built from natural giant stones, soaring into the sky, very spectacular.

At this moment, the guard soldiers at the main entrance saw General Su Ming and immediately stepped forward to ask sternly.

“This is the main gate of the City Lord’s Mansion. Unauthorized personnel are not allowed to linger.”

“I am General Su Ming, specially here to visit City Lord Alicia. Please inform her.”

General Su Ming took out his officer card and said calmly.

The guard captain immediately stood at attention, saluted General Su Ming, and said.

“General Su Ming, please wait a moment. We will go and announce your arrival now.”

“Alright!”

General Su Ming nodded slightly in response.

Inside the City Lord’s Mansion office.

Alicia, dressed in a light blue gauze dress, crossed her long, fair legs, resting her chin on one hand, and was flipping through a statistical table in her hand.

The table listed names, all of whom were her supporters.

Thump, thump!

At that moment, there was a knock on the door.

Alicia frowned upon hearing the sound, put away the statistical table in her hand, and said.

“Come in!”

“Miss.”

Butler Old Woman Bi Han pushed open the door and walked in, greeting respectfully.

“Didn’t I say not to disturb me unless it’s important?”

Alicia looked at Old Woman Bi Han, somewhat displeased.

“Miss, General Su Ming is here to visit.”

Butler Old Woman Bi Han said respectfully.

Hearing Old Woman Bi Han’s words, Alicia immediately broke into a brilliant smile and said,

“You came to find me so quickly, have you finally come to your senses? Bring him over quickly.”

“Alright!”

Old Woman Bi Han, the housekeeper, respectfully withdrew.

At the main entrance of the City Lord’s Mansion.

General Su Ming waited patiently, and at this moment, the main outer gate of the City Lord’s Mansion opened.

A luxurious black hovercar drove out from inside and stopped in front of General Su Ming. Immediately, the car door opened, and Old Woman Bi Han, the housekeeper, stepped out and greeted him respectfully.

“General Su Ming!”

“Old Woman Bi Han, the housekeeper.”

General Su Ming replied politely.

“Please get in the car, my young lady has invited you.”

Old Woman Bi Han said respectfully.

“Alright!”

General Su Ming then got into the black hovercar.

Soon, the black hovercar started and drove towards the internal castle of the City Lord’s Mansion.

General Su Ming looked at the various rare green plants along the way and suddenly realized that these were not ordinary green plants; many of them were rare medicinal herbs. So he asked,

“Old Woman Bi Han, the housekeeper, are a large portion of these green plants alien species?”

“General Su Ming, you have excellent eyesight.”

Old Woman Bi Han said with a smile.

“I didn’t expect Rainy City’s technology in planting to be so impressive.”

“Sir, you probably haven’t paid much attention to our Rainy City before, have you? In fact, besides not being very good at fighting, our Rainy City is first-class in all other aspects. We are not much inferior to Vox Biological Group in terms of medicinal plant cultivation and production.”

“Hmm.”

General Su Ming nodded thoughtfully.

It seemed that Rainy City’s wealth was not as simple as it appeared on the surface, but it was normal. After all, Rainy City was one of the Three Cities, so it must have its outstanding qualities.

Soon after, the black hovercar arrived at the castle gate.

General Su Ming opened the car door and stepped out. A line of fair-skinned, beautiful maids stood in two neat rows and greeted him respectfully.

“Welcome!”

General Su Ming looked at the grand display and walked past with an expressionless face.

“General Su Ming, this way please!”

Old Woman Bi Han, the housekeeper, said respectfully.

“Alright.”

General Su Ming nodded and followed Old Woman Bi Han inside.

Soon, Old Woman Bi Han, the housekeeper, led General Su Ming into the office.

“Young Lady, the person has been brought.”

Old Woman Bi Han said respectfully.

“Old Woman Bi Han, you may leave first. Don’t let anyone disturb us.”

Alicia smiled as she looked at General Su Ming and instructed.

“Yes!”

Old Woman Bi Han respectfully withdrew and closed the door.

General Su Ming also felt a little uneasy under Alicia’s gaze, so he coughed and said,

“City Lord Alicia, I apologize for my sudden visit. I hope I haven’t caused you any inconvenience.”

“How could you? I’m very happy you could come.”

Alicia blinked and said with a light chuckle.

“That’s good.”

General Su Ming’s mouth twitched as he spoke.

“Don’t be so nervous, I won’t eat you. Come, sit here!”

Alicia reached out and patted the chair beside her, saying.

“No need, I prefer to stand.”

How could General Su Ming dare to actually sit next to Alicia?

“Heh heh, you’re good in every way, just a bit too serious. I won’t tease you anymore. What do you need me for?”

Alicia asked with a smile.

General Su Ming’s expression turned serious, and he said very earnestly,

“My visit this time is to hope that City Lord Alicia, you can withdraw from the election and support Lord Long Bai.”

“Heh heh, General Su Ming, do you know what you’re saying?”

City Lord Alicia laughed even more brightly upon hearing General Su Ming’s words, showing no sign of anger.

“Yes.”

General Su Ming replied with certainty.

“Let me tell you, that position is coveted by everyone, and I am no exception. You want me to give up the election? If anyone else had said that to me, their grave grass would probably be three meters high by now.”

City Lord Alicia replied with a smile.

“City Lord Alicia, you should be well aware that you have no chance of winning.”

General Su Ming showed no hesitation and looked directly into Alicia’s eyes as he spoke.

“Alright, let’s say you’re right. Then why should I support Dragon White? What benefits can you give me? There are no free lunches in this world; everything has a price.”

Alicia said with a smile.

“City Lord Alicia, I won’t beat around the bush with you. You should understand Lord Long Bai’s capabilities better than anyone. Whether it was the crisis in Donao Star Sea or the crisis in Tidal Star Sea, it was Lord Long Bai who stepped forward to resolve them all! Now the Federation is like a small boat adrift in a storm, ready to be swallowed by the tempest at any moment. However, once Lord Long Bai takes office, he will definitely be able to lead the Federation out of its predicament and provide Rainy City with the strongest protection. This is the greatest benefit.”

General Su Ming said neither humbly nor arrogantly.

“Is that all?”

City Lord Alicia slowly stood up, walked to General Su Ming’s side, and whispered in his ear, her breath like orchids.

“City Lord Alicia…”

General Su Ming stiffened, instinctively took a step back, and was about to say something.

Thump, thump!

A dull knocking sound echoed again.

City Lord Alicia frowned slightly and turned her head, saying unhappily,

“Come in.”

The door was pushed open, and Old Woman Bi Han walked in, reporting respectfully,

“Young Lady, Lord Long Chen, Lord Long Shadow, and Lord Dragon Lan are visiting!”

General Su Ming’s eyelids twitched upon hearing Old Woman Bi Han’s words. He hadn’t expected to run into the three of them; this was awkward.

“Su Ming, come with me.”

Upon hearing this, City Lord Alicia directly took General Su Ming’s hand and walked towards the bookshelf behind the desk.

General Su Ming was slightly stunned, feeling a cool, soft touch. City Lord Alicia’s hand was cold but very soft.

At this moment, Alicia reached out and pressed a hidden mechanism on the bookshelf.

Click!

The bookshelf immediately split open, revealing a secret chamber.

“Go in and hide for a bit, so it won’t be awkward later.”

Alicia said to General Su Ming with a smile.

“Alright.”

General Su Ming then hid inside.

Alicia closed the secret chamber and turned to Old Woman Bi Han, saying,

“Old Woman Bi Han, bring them over.”

“Alright!”

Old Woman Bi Han respectfully withdrew.

Inside the secret chamber, General Su Ming curiously looked around. The entire secret chamber was not very large, only about a hundred square meters, and it contained shelves filled with various top-secret documents and boxes.

It was obvious that these were valuable items, but General Su Ming did not go through them, as this was Alicia’s secret.

At this moment, he heard vague greetings from outside.

“City Lord Alicia…”

General Su Ming then walked to the wall, pressed his ear against it, and listened to the conversation outside.

Inside the office.

Alicia warmly greeted Dragon Dust and the other two, inviting them to sit, and asked with a smile,

“What a day it is today, that the three of you have time to visit me.”

“Lord Alicia, to be honest, we are here about the election.”

Dragon Dust said with a smile.

“I don’t quite understand. Please explain clearly.”

Alicia deliberately pretended not to understand and replied.

At this point, Long Shadow said with a smile,

“Lord Alicia, let’s be frank. We actually hope you can withdraw from the election and support Dragon Dust’s candidacy.”

“Oh, I see. Honestly, if anyone else had said that to me, I would have thrown them out. But I must show respect to the three of you, even if I don’t give face to others.”

Alicia replied with a smile.

“Thank you, Lord Alicia!”

Dragon Dust replied with a full smile upon hearing Alicia’s words.

“Don’t thank me so quickly, Lord Long Chen. You should be well aware that our Rainy City is best at doing business. You want me to withdraw from the election and support you. What benefits will I get in return?”

Alicia asked with a smile.

“Lord Alicia, we come with sincerity. As long as you help me win, I can reduce Rainy City’s taxes and provide Rainy City with support in weaponry. Furthermore, if the time is right, I can even help Rainy City seek revenge against Apocalypse Divine Kingdom! Of course, if you are not satisfied with these, we can discuss further.”

Dragon Dust directly offered generous terms to Alicia.

“These terms are truly good. I am indeed very tempted, but I have one question.”

Alicia was very satisfied with the terms proposed by Dragon Dust and his group. Just the reduction of Rainy City’s taxes alone would save Rainy City a huge amount of money each year. It should be known that among the Three Cities, Rainy City had the heaviest taxes.

“Speak!”

Dragon Dust asked politely.

“My question is simple: after you take office, can you truly support the Federation? You must know that Dark Star, Apocalypse, Kirami, and the Mechanical Clan are about to besiege the Federation! If you can’t hold out, what good are all the generous terms you offer me?”

Alicia asked very clearly.

“Don’t worry about that. Once I take office, I will have a way to make Apocalypse Divine Kingdom and Dark Star Empire stop attacking us. Even if they can’t be completely stopped, I can cause internal strife among them. This way, we can fully concentrate on dealing with Kirami and the Mechanical Clan.”

Dragon Dust said confidently.

“As expected of Lord Long Chen, your methods are truly impressive!”

Alicia looked at Dragon Dust with some surprise.

“Thank you, City Lord Alicia, for your praise. So, regarding the election matter?”

Dragon Dust asked with a smile.

“This matter is of great importance. Please allow me to consider it.”

Alicia did not immediately agree.

Dragon Dust and the other two exchanged glances, then said,

“Alright, then we won’t disturb you further. We still need to visit City Lord Faraon.”

“Very well, take care!”

Alicia stood up and said.

Inside the secret chamber.

General Su Ming’s heart sank to rock bottom; the worst had still happened.

Crack!

At this moment, the door to the secret chamber opened.

“Come out, they’ve already left.”

Alicia said with a smile.

General Su Ming then walked out of the secret chamber.

At this moment, Alicia looked at General Su Ming and said with a pleased expression,

“General Su Ming, you must have heard the terms Dragon Dust and his group offered, right?”

“I heard them.”

“Compared to your empty promises, I think they seem to have more sincerity.”

“Indeed, they even dared to offer a tax reduction for Rainy City.”

General Su Ming said self-deprecatingly, knowing how much the Federation’s finances were in deficit now.

“Then tell me, why should I choose to help Dragon White?”

Alicia walked up to General Su Ming, extended her slender finger, lifted his chin, and teased him.

General Su Ming was speechless for a moment, unsure how to answer, and could only awkwardly step back.

Alicia looked at the flustered General Su Ming and immediately chuckled.

“Actually, it’s not impossible for me to help Dragon White ascend, but everything comes at a price. How about this, as long as you are willing to follow me, I might consider helping her.”

“Cough, cough, City Lord Alicia, please don’t joke around.”

General Su Ming replied with a twitching mouth.

“I’m not joking. Since she chooses power, then give me the person. She can’t have all the benefits, can she?”

City Lord Alicia replied with a light laugh.

“Stop it! I’m not a bargaining chip.”

General Su Ming replied with a darkened face.

“Heh heh, then there’s nothing I can do. You tell her to think carefully about whether she wants power or the person.”

Alicia showed no intention of backing down.

“Sorry to have bothered you. I’ll take my leave now.”

General Su Ming replied with a headache.

“Take care.”

Alicia did not try to keep General Su Ming.

“Sigh!”

General Su Ming sighed and turned to leave the office.