Then let them offer their loyalty!

Page 680

'Has Qiu Tu... become this strong?'

After pondering for a moment, Kou Xuan placed his hand on the desk, then slowly stood up and walked to the window.

Gazing at the pitch-black night outside the window, he fell into quiet contemplation.

'But... the stronger Qiu Tu becomes, the less you should actually get close to him...'

'After all... the 'peripheral region' can only accommodate a limited number of powerful individuals. The stronger he becomes, the closer it is to his departure from the 'Northwest Region' and his journey to the 'Boundless Heart Sea - Core Region.'

His path to catastrophe is "political," and theoretically, "world office" could also align with his path.

"Therefore, if I were him, I would most likely take another step forward before leaving, becoming Sanctuary Number One, then advancing to Tier 7, transforming my 'political' path into a 'world official position,' completely escaping the influence of the human camp."

'In that case, he will inevitably recklessly push things forward to accelerate his own growth.'

'But precisely because of this, once he left the Northwest region, his weak foundation was simply unable to withstand the backlash of forcing growth, nor could he protect such a large family fortune.'

'In the end, those who follow him will still be in trouble...'

Therefore, the higher his talent and the stronger he is, the less one should be close to him now.

'This is simply a paradox.'

Thinking of this, Kou Xuan couldn't help but sigh slightly.

In fact, in his heart, Qiu Tu was indeed a very suitable partner. He had truly done his best to help Qiu Tu plan ahead.

Everything changed when Qiu Tu defeated the jackals and joined forces with Zhao Ji to kill the nine-headed lion.

Kou Xuan knew Qiu Tu was a genius before, but he never expected him to be this genius.

If he were just an ordinary genius, then Qiu Tu could use the few years he spent transitioning in the "Northwest Region" to solidify his foundation for rule and firmly establish his own power base.

At that time, Qiu Tu will become the true king of the entire "Northwest Region", and the Kou family will also grow into a truly towering tree by relying on him.

But if someone is too talented, there won't be much time left for Qiu Tu.

Therefore, Kou Xuan began to look for a way out for himself and his family.

This led to him, after much deliberation, deciding to help conceal the whereabouts of the envoy group after the human camp came looking for him.

Although such actions offended Qiu Tu, they did indeed allow the Kou family to regain their footing within the human camp.

Moreover... Kou Xuan didn't directly betray Qiu Tu and join the human camp.

He used a very clever method to "relieve the force":

After the third and fourth delegations secretly appeared in Fengqi Prefecture, he took the initiative to call Qiu Tu and confessed his wavering and mistakes.

He made it very clear that he was certain the delegation's purpose was not to forcibly take action against Qiu Tu, but merely to demonstrate their power, which is why he dared to agree.

If the delegation showed even the slightest indication that they intended to attack Qiu Tu, he would refuse and report it to Qiu Tu.

In addition, he also carefully analyzed the situation for Qiu Tu and presented him with a batch of gold bars and disaster materials, which can be regarded as an apology.

It must be said that the timing of his apology and confession was very clever. It occurred at the very beginning of the matter, before any major mistakes were made, making it more acceptable to people.

Coupled with his sincere apology and invaluable compensation, Qiu Tu's anger subsided by 8 out of 10 points.

So, Qiu Tusun returned the favor to the Kou family:

Since the Kou family wants to take sides, they might as well reveal Shen Lingshuang's information to Shen Yuzhou to further gain favor with the Third Sanctuary.

Kou Xuan seemed to have anticipated this opportunity, so he agreed without any hesitation or even asking Qiu Tu's purpose.

This allowed the Kou family to return to Qiu Tu's camp immediately after a brief separation, demonstrating their mastery of the art of "swinging".

However, both of them also knew that if loyalty is not absolute, then it is absolutely not loyal.

The moment the Kou family chose to conceal the presence of the 3rd and 4th shelter messenger groups, Qiu Tu would no longer trust the Kou family, and the two sides could never go back to what they were before.

But this was exactly what Kou Xuan wanted...

'Provide compensation, help Qiu Tu with his work, and continue cooperating with him, but maintain a certain distance and avoid intimacy.'

'Concealing the whereabouts of the 3rd and 4th envoy groups and leaking information about Shen Lingshuang are ways of currying favor with the human camp.'

'This appeases both Qiu Tu and the human camp, avoiding offending either side, buying time, and waiting to see how things develop...'

Thinking this, Kou Xuan's gaze became even more profound.

Actually... if he were all alone, he would most likely have joined Qiu Tu's camp without hesitation.

But there was no other way... He wasn't just doing it alone; he had to be responsible for the entire family...

For a family with a thousand-year history, the most important thing is not to reach the top or to rise to prominence, but to maintain its existence without risk.

......

at the same time.

As the four major shelters successively recognized the legitimacy of Qiu Tu's position in the 6th and 7th shelters, they offered their congratulations.

The atmosphere in the reception room became increasingly harmonious. However, upon closer inspection, one could still discern the wariness in Li Feng and Shen Yuzhou's eyes.

After a few more perfunctory words and a brief discussion about the itinerary for the next two days, Qiu Tu finally let the two go and took the initiative to see them off.

It must be said that, without knowing Qiu Tu's strength, the sense of pressure from Qiu Tu's extreme pressure was still very strong.

Both Shen Yuzhou and Li Feng were actually quite tense during these few hours.

They were afraid that Qiu Tu, this unpredictable guy, might flip the table and start a fight at the slightest disagreement.

So, seeing that Qiu Tu had finally agreed to release them, the two of them secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

After getting up and walking to the door of the reception room, Li Feng and Shen Yuzhou politely declined Qiu Tu's offer to see them off further.

Qiu Tu knew that the extreme pressure he had exerted over the past few hours had left them mentally and physically exhausted, so he didn't insist. He simply told them to get some rest.

Finally free from Qiu Tu, the two of them walked with a lighter step.

However, it was precisely this complacency that prevented them from seeing... "Candle Dance," lagging behind, exchanged a deep glance with Qiu Tu, then nodded knowingly towards the reception room...

.......

On their way back to the villa, Li Feng and Shen Yuzhou finally had time to talk.

Li Feng glanced at Shen Yuzhou, then teased, "Didn't Speaker Shen say he wanted to put pressure on Qiu Tu?"

"Should we still let our daughter handle it?"

"Why did you compromise so quickly in the end?"

As a politician, Shen Yuzhou had long since lost all sense of shame. He said with a slight smile, "The difference between winning and losing a gamble is too great. And it's completely disproportionate to the gains."

"So, after much thought, I finally gave up my original plan."

Upon hearing Shen Yuzhou's words, Li Feng narrowed her phoenix eyes and said bluntly, "Really? I thought Qiu Tu had gotten hold of your weakness."

"Identical people... one in heaven, one in the mud..."

At this point, Li Feng glanced at "Candle Dance" as if it were nothing.

The reason Shen Yuzhou was intimidated by Qiu Tu was because he knew that Shen Lingshuang was in Qiu Tu's hands and might have leaked a lot of information.

But Li Feng and Shen Lingshuang have no relation, so she must be bluffing.

So he said nonchalantly, "Speaker Qiu was just telling a story offhand."

“The story itself isn’t the key point; the key point is that it gave me time to think things through again.”

"It was during those few minutes of his storytelling that I weighed the pros and cons and finally made up my mind."

Shen Yuzhou's words were indeed novel in perspective and logical, but... Li Feng didn't believe them at all.

If Shen Yuzhou were so easily swayed, he would have changed his mind by the afternoon.

However, she also knew that Shen Yuzhou was a cunning old fox, and that probing him wouldn't yield any results if he didn't want to talk, so she didn't bother to continue and changed the subject.

"Is Speaker Shen really planning to just acknowledge Qiu Tu's status like this?"

"Don't you really want to test his strength and see if he's just bluffing?"

"Maybe he's just bluffing us? After all, there are still a lot of suspicious things about him."

Hearing Li Feng's words, Shen Yuzhou's expression remained unchanged. He chuckled and said, "I don't have many other merits, but my greatest merit is that I'm willing to accept defeat in a bet."

"Since we've lost, let's accept it."

"Qiu Tu has now gained the recognition of the human camp and the approval of the major shelters, so his position is stable and he is already our ally."

"Whether he's bluffing us or he really has the ability, I don't need to test him anymore."

Hearing Shen Yuzhou's words, Li Feng smiled and then didn't reply.

As the commander of the "Iron Women's Army," and with her father being a high-ranking official in the Second Shelter, she held a transcendent position both in the Fourth Shelter and within the human camp.

And don't forget, she's the head of the Fourth Sanctuary. There's no one above her anymore. Even if this pressure isn't handled well, no one can hold her accountable.

But Shen Yuzhou was different.

Shelter No. 3 was originally a bloody meat grinder.

Various factions, so many madmen gathered together. They're fighting and infighting every moment.

If this matter is handled poorly, not only will other factions not let him off the hook, but even the "lawful faction" itself will probably not let him off the hook.

You have to understand, he's the vice-chairman of the Third Sanctuary. He's second only to the chairman, above countless others, and many people are eyeing his position.

Li Feng simply didn't believe that Shen Yuzhou could so easily accept defeat...

And so, the two chatted casually all the way to the other side of the road, before parting ways.

Compared to Li Feng's casualness, Shen Yuzhou was indeed not as relaxed as he claimed after they separated.

His face remained gloomy as he walked back to the villa.

And the memory of this defeat kept replaying in his mind.

It can be said that Qiu Tu had calculated his and Li Feng's trip perfectly.

Whether it was scaring away "Candle Dance," teasing Li Feng, or the extreme pressure applied later...

Even the information the Kou family gave him about Shen Lingshuang during the day, Shen Yuzhou suspected was a scheme by Qiu Tu.

Qiu Tu was like a spider, weaving a huge web in the Senate, just waiting for these people to step in.

'What a terrifying young man....'

Although he didn't like Qiu Tu, Shen Yuzhou still couldn't help but give Qiu Tu a very high evaluation.

"I had previously read about Qiu Tu, which included many examples of his strategic planning and meticulous execution, but at the time I thought it was either an idealization of him or just a victor patting himself on the back."

'The result was unexpected... not only was it true, but it might even have toned it down a bit.'

Thinking this, Shen Yuzhou stepped into the courtyard.

"Candle Dance" followed behind him like a little tail.

Upon entering the room, Shen Yuzhou sat in the main seat, his brows furrowed...

Just as Li Feng had thought, Shen Yuzhou is actually under a lot of pressure right now.

Without receiving any reward, and without even understanding Qiu Tu's strength, unilaterally conceding defeat will inevitably lead to a barrage of criticism for Shen Yuzhou upon his return to the Third Shelter...

'This can't go on...we have to think of a solution.'

Thinking this, Shen Yuzhou picked up the tea on the table and drank it all in one gulp.

Hmm... the tea left over from the daytime tasted even more bitter than the tea in the reception room...

.....

This is destined to be a sleepless day for many.

This war without gunfire has actually captured the attention of various forces.

Some were opposition factions from the 3rd Sanctuary, some were relatively neutral forces, and some were the veterans from the 7th Sanctuary who hadn't yet reconciled.

Qiu Tu's inexplicable victory left them all bewildered and wondering what had happened.

And on this night when news was flying everywhere...

2 points in the early hours.

The inky black night surged and spread like a tidal wave, completely swallowing the hustle and bustle of the day. The blue moon was half-hidden in the clouds, letting out only a few hazy rays of light.

The trees outside the reception room swayed gently in the night breeze, their leaves rustling as if whispering secrets.