Chapter 776: Siege and Questioning

In the bustling banquet hall, Li Kerou stood among many young ladies in their prime, all holding champagne and laughing merrily.

Then, Li Kerou glanced at Qing Chen with a frequency of about two or three times per minute, her eyes filled with uncontainable delight and respect...

Qing Chen recalled Li Kerou's words, and the more he thought about it, the more wrong it felt.

In public, he took out his phone and sent a message to Yi: "Did you screw me over again? What's up with this Li Kerou?"

Yi replied: "You're asking me? You promised me there would be over two hundred more girls, and you were only focused on your own happiness, not keeping your promises!"

Qing Chen immediately felt uneasy. When Yi started being evasive, it usually meant he had done something wrong: "Don't change the subject, I'm talking about Li Kerou. What did you talk to her about?"

Yi's tone softened: "Nothing much, just comforting her sadness. I said you had a lot of things you couldn't say during the blind date and could only talk privately..."

Qing Chen stood there for a long time, almost able to imagine the kind of associations Li Kerou would make in this context.

This is... my entire reputation ruined thanks to Yi.

Qing Chen sighed, what a disaster: "But this will cause a lot of misunderstandings."

"Okay, I'll explain it to them," Yi replied.

In the banquet hall, countless burning gazes quietly swept towards Qing Chen, then were captured by the sixth sense of an A-Class expert.

Qing Ji said calmly beside him: "Playing with your phone at a banquet isn't a sign of maturity."

Qing Chen said without looking up: "Do I still need to care about other people's opinions?"

Qing Ji thought for a moment: "It seems you don't."

If it were other Qing Family members, at the age of eighteen, coming to a banquet, they would pay the most attention to their behavior, afraid of leaving a bad impression on others.

If they left an impression of being irresponsible in the eyes of their elders, their future might be affected.

But Qing Chen was different. He didn't need anyone's approval. If he were also a member of the Qing Family, then he, who now controlled the Guardians' Union and the Shadow forces, as the city lord, was already one of the most powerful figures within various factions.

Even if he wasn't the son of the head of the family, he would inevitably join the Board of Directors this year, becoming the youngest director of the Qing Family, on par with Qing Kun, Qing Yu, and others.

If others had a bad impression of him, they could only endure it.

In this noisy environment, Qing Chen only felt increasingly uncomfortable. He seemed to be born unsuited to this place, unsuited to this atmosphere where everyone had to put on a false pretense.

He put his phone back in his pocket, loosened his tie, and went to the buffet to get some snacks.

It was at this time that all members of the Qing Family factions received a mass message: At 10 am tomorrow, an enlarged meeting of the Board of Directors will be held, and a vote will be taken on the proposal to "elect Qing Chen as Chairman of the Board of Directors."

At first, everyone who received the message didn't look at it immediately. Until the first person took out their phone, gradually everyone took out their phones, then cast strange glances at Qing Chen.

The position of Chairman of the Board of Directors was too sensitive. The Shadow Succession hadn't even ended, and the head of the family was already nominating Qing Chen for direct election?

There was a moment of silence in the banquet hall, then it became lively again. The only topic of discussion was Qing Chen.

Qing Ji said with a look of watching the fun: "Apart from the military, basically all the powerful figures of the Qing Family are here. In the political world, there are important members of parliament from various constituencies; they are the representatives who control the bills. In the business world, there are CEOs of various subsidiaries under the Qing Family; they control coal, oil, electricity, aviation, and military industry. This is actually the cornerstone of the Qing Family. They are like components, interlocking to power this huge machine."

Qing Ji continued: "But the components in this machine are starting to fight each other. They are no longer serving a supreme will, but their own. The wheels have their own ideas, the engine has its own ideas, and the Qing Family therefore seems a little clumsy."

"Why doesn't the head of the family manage this? Isn't this the head of the family's responsibility?" Qing Chen said: "What the head of the family should do is to regularly maintain these components to make them more obedient and easier to use."

Qing Ji shook his head: "No, Old Master thinks some components have rotted, so he wants to replace some components, even the engine. The most important component in this process is the engine. Previously, there was no new engine, and rashly replacing new components might lead to incompatibility with the new engine, which would be even more troublesome. Therefore, only when the new engine appears will replacing components be meaningful."

Qing Chen understood: "I'm the new engine?"

"No, you have the wrong self-perception," Qing Ji shook his head: "The Guardians' Union is the new engine, and you are the one driving this machine."

"So, in this banquet hall, which people need to be replaced?" Qing Chen asked.

Qing Ji replied with a smile: "Those who are disobedient, all of them. Of course, they haven't realized yet how cruel this process will be."

In the banquet hall, everyone was talking with their own thoughts. The real big shots, such as Qing Kun, Qing Yu, and Qing Yun, did not appear. Their representatives kept sending messages, wanting to ask their bosses how to express their stance.

At this time, many people actually wanted to be fence-sitters.

Although fence-sitters don't get any benefits, they are the least likely to die in power struggles.

Many senior politicians are not particularly capable, but they are very good at protecting themselves.

But if they don't express their stance tonight, tomorrow, Qing Chen will naturally become the chairman of the Board of Directors, and there will be nothing left for other factions.

Just as he was thinking about how to express his stance, a hearty laugh came from outside the banquet hall: "It's so lively here! You guys are too enthusiastic in welcoming us!"

As soon as the voice fell, the doors of the banquet hall were pushed open again by the mute servants, and Shendai Yunluo, in a white hunting robe, walked in first, his loud praise seeming to steal the show.

A noble young man from the north seemed to be even more dazzling than everyone else present.

Shendai Yunluo looked at Qing Chen and smiled: "My friend, why didn't you invite me to your birthday celebration?"

Qing Chen also smiled: "I only found out today. I've never had a birthday celebration before."

"Wow, you're so miserable," Shendai Yunluo said with a smile: "You should have seen my birthday celebrations. It was really gongs and drums, firecrackers, red flags fluttering, and crowds of people."

The arrival of Shendai Yunluo disrupted the rhythm of many people's thinking. They looked over in confusion: "These three... they seem to be from the Shendai Consortium."

Someone quickly took out their phone to search. After they verified the identities of the three Shendai Yunluo, they were astonished to find that these three were all core members of Shendai, each an A-Class expert.

Among them, Shendai Yunxiu controlled the Outer World Shadow Agency, and was a powerful figure.

Why would three people suddenly come to the southwest?

In the banquet, a few people exchanged glances, and a middle-aged man stood up and asked: "You say you are Qing Chen's friends?"

Shendai Yunluo smiled and looked over: "At least I think so. As for what Qing Chen thinks, I haven't asked him yet."

The middle-aged man said loudly: "Our troops are still fighting Shendai in the north. If I remember correctly, in last month's war, our side lost as many as 21,000 soldiers. Now, Qing Chen, you want to be friends with Shendai? Have you forgotten the feud with Qing Mu?"

In the crowd, someone stepped forward: "Qing Chen, do you want to be friends with Shendai? If so, you are not qualified to be the chairman of the Qing Family's Board of Directors."

Shendai Yunluo frowned and looked at Qing Chen: "It seems I've come at the wrong time. Shall we go?"

Shendai Yunluo was a very easygoing person. He didn't care about being attacked on the Qing Family's territory, even though he had left the Shendai Consortium.

But if his arrival affected Qing Chen's career, it would make him feel a little uneasy.

Shendai Yunxiu and Shendai Kongyu watched silently. They felt a little sorry for Shendai Yunluo, who had traveled thousands of miles, only to be attacked.

From the perspective of political interests, what Qing Chen should do at this time is to distance himself from Shendai Yunluo. After all, what's more important than taking control of the Qing Family?

If it were them, they would probably choose this way, after all, Qing Chen and Shendai Yunluo hadn't met many times, how could they have such a deep friendship?

Everyone's eyes turned to Qing Chen, who was still picking snacks at the table.

He took a piece of tiramisu and put it on his plate, then picked up a glass of champagne and handed it to Shendai Yunluo: "You've come from afar and haven't been properly entertained, and then you're involved in this dispute. I'm really a little ashamed. Shendai Yunxiu, Shendai Kongyu, don't be polite, take whatever you want, don't be too polite."

Everyone in the banquet hall was stunned. They didn't expect that Qing Chen didn't take their words to heart at all.

"Don't you need to explain your relationship with Shendai Yunluo?" someone asked.

"Explain?" Qing Chen looked over in confusion: "Shendai Yunluo and I are indeed friends. What's there to explain?"

The corner of Shendai Yunluo's mouth slightly curled up. At one point, he had worried...

He even thought that it didn't matter if Qing Chen distanced himself from him. He could understand. It's just that he wouldn't help Qing Chen anymore, and then he would travel with Yunxiu and Kongyu, never interfering with worldly matters again.

Three A-Class experts traveling together, where couldn't they go?

However, he didn't expect Qing Chen to stand by him.

Shendai Yunluo smiled: "Actually, you can deny it first."

Qing Chen seriously shook his head: "When someone asks if we are friends, even if there is a moment's hesitation, it's not a true friendship. There shouldn't be any compromise on this path. Friends are friends, enemies are enemies. And I was thinking, you have so few friends, if I don't acknowledge it, wouldn't you be miserable?"

Shendai Yunluo laughed: "You're being too sentimental. I have friends all over the world."

"Those are just drinking buddies. There aren't many who can fight side by side," Qing Chen said.

In the banquet hall, many people's faces lit up. As long as Qing Chen was willing to admit Shendai Yunluo as a friend, they could force Qing Chen to give up running for the position of chairman of the Board of Directors.

After all, Shendai is a real enemy.

However, before they could speak, Li Kerou, wearing a black evening dress, walked to the front of the crowd and said coldly: "When Qing Chen was the director of PCA Intelligence Bureau One, he planned the arrest of 314 Shendai members. Later, to exchange for Qing Mu, he was captured by Shendai to the northern A02 secret base. He fought his way out and received the silver apricot medal, the highest honor of the Qing Family, and was awarded the rank of lieutenant general. Those of you who haven't even been to the battlefield dare to question him for colluding with the Shendai Consortium. Don't you know your place? Who among you has killed Shendai soldiers on the battlefield? Raise your hands, let me see."

Qing Chen looked at the girl, dumbfounded. He really didn't expect that Li Kerou would dare to speak out at this time.

When she said she would assist him as her career, Qing Chen just regarded it as a statement during the "interview'. After all, who wouldn't say nice things during an interview?

However, Li Kerou really kept her word.

Yi sent a message: Qing Chen, this girl is reliable, she really stood up for you.

The next moment, someone else stood up and said: "I'm curious, when did you become friends with Shendai Yunluo? Did you live in the north? I've always wondered why, after Qing Mu was captured, he became a vegetative state due to repeated attempts to use Neural Link to possess him. But you were captured for a month and came back safely. Did Shendai not try to possess you? Or, have you already been possessed?"

These few people struck at the same time, attempting to erase Qing Chen's past achievements from the root.

Qing Chen's foothold in the Qing Family was based on his rescue of Qing Mu and his escape from the A02 base.

That's how the Qing Family intelligence system submitted to him.

Now, the other party directly intended to frame Qing Chen as having been possessed, a kind of smear that Qing Chen himself couldn't prove innocent. He knew he hadn't been possessed; the Head of the Qingshi Clan knew, his brother Qing Zhun knew, but others didn't.

Regardless of whether Qing Chen had been possessed, even if there was only suspicion, he would not be qualified to take the position of chairman of the Board of Directors.

But Li Kerou continued: "If you think this isn't enough, then his killing of thousands of Shendai Time Travelers in Osaka, Outer World, and even killing the expert Shendai Yunhe in the north, and capturing Shendai's son, Shendai Jing Cheng alive, is it also false? Shendai Jing Cheng is still in the pigsty, don't you want to see how miserable he is?"

Shendai Yunluo quietly praised, he found that the girl knew Qing Chen's public achievements by heart, even investigating what happened in the Outer World.

She did her homework very thoroughly.

The banquet hall fell silent. It was true, as Li Kerou said, Shendai Jing Cheng was still fighting with pigs for food, this couldn't be false.

Someone sneered: "If sacrificing a Shendai Jing Cheng, Shendai Yunhe, and a few thousand soldiers can get the position of Head of the Qingshi Clan, then this deal is worthwhile. Acting, who doesn't know how? If Qing Chen can prove that he hasn't been possessed, I'm willing to fully support him to become the new chairman of the Board of Directors, but the problem is, how can he prove it?"