At the Northern Front, Qing Yu sat calmly in the command tent, his fingers tapping rhythmically on the table.
He was waiting.
Calculating the time, Qing Chi should have arrived at City 5 by now?
Qing Chi brought not only military intelligence, but also a few small gifts Qing Yu had prepared for Qing Chen.
The gifts were not expensive, just a few golden Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.
Each golden Buddha, if given to an ordinary family, could provide them with a lifetime of worry-free living, but if Qing Chen became the Board of Directors Chairman, the annual dividends would make these things insignificant.
But the gifts represented Qing Yu's attitude.
As the commander-in-chief of the front-line army group, Qing Yu was now second only to the top and above all others.
With his status and position, he did not need to send congratulatory gifts to the younger generation of the family. Even someone like Qing Yi, even after a hundred birthdays, would not receive a gift from him.
Only the status of the family head and Board of Directors Chairman was worthy of such a grand gesture.So Qing Yu's attitude was clear: in his heart, Qing Chen was the person who would take charge of the Qing Family in the future, and he was willing to follow him wholeheartedly.
This was the most important thing.
In the command tent, a deputy officer looked at Qing Yu: "Boss, with your status, it's not necessary to take sides so early. You can completely arrange Qing Xing's future using this opportunity."
It's not about not taking sides, but it wasn't necessary to take sides so early.
Politics is a game of deals, even though Qing Yu had already pledged allegiance to Shadow, Qing Chen would have to make more promises to gain his support, such as Qing Yu's son, Qing Xing, obtaining certain positions after this reshuffle.
Qing Yu's position was too important, it was not a position that could be easily replaced by a simple order.
He could have waited for the best offer, but he didn't.
Qing Yu stopped tapping the table and looked up: "In my life, I have only stood on the side of the Qing Family's interests. Whoever benefits the Qing Family, I will support them. This was my promise to the Old Master on Ginkgo Mountain."
The deputy officer was stunned. This sentence revealed a hidden relationship between Qing Yu and the family head, but no one had heard of it before.
Qing Yu's way of doing things was a bit strange. In the Qing Family Conglomerate, he was like a lone wolf, forming no factions or cliques, managing half of the Qing Family's air force, and not having very good relationships with anyone.
Yet, such a grumpy person gradually became the commander-in-chief of the Qing Corporation army.
"It's not a big secret, actually," Qing Yu smiled, "When I was young, no one could stand me. I always thought I was the best, always top in the academy's exams, and unbeatable at Go. But because I was too arrogant, I didn't make any friends. Qing Kun was my classmate at the academy back then. He would gather a few friends to block me every day. My parents passed away early, and no one helped me, so I could only let them bully me."
The deputy officer was stunned. Was this the old story of their commander?
Qing Yu continued: "At that time, Ember Military Academy started recruiting students, and I really wanted to go. I was first in the written exam, but during the interview, the principal of Ember Military Academy said my personality wasn't suitable for the army, too individualistic. I was depressed about it for a long time; even Qing Kun passed, but I didn't. Other people had parents to help them, but I didn't."
The deputy officer asked strangely: "Your military command ability is among the best in the Federation, how could you not pass the interview? And, didn't you go to Ember Military Academy in the end?
"The second interview was a military exercise on a Holographic Sand Table," Qing Yu said, "At that time, I commanded the right flank, while the main force was surrounded by the enemy. The test was for me to relieve the main force. But after carefully studying the sand table, I found that even if I tried my best to relieve the main force, I still couldn't win. But if I could quickly advance and capture the enemy's main base, the enemy would have no strength to stop me. Therefore, I gave an answer beyond the question...Isn't the purpose of war to win?"
The deputy officer fell silent.
"That summer, after being rejected by Ember Military Academy, I locked myself in my room every day, depressed and unwilling to go out. Then one afternoon, Qing Ji came to my house and took me to Ginkgo Mountain, to the family head. He could help me pass the second interview with Ember Military Academy's principal," Qing Yu said with a smile, "I didn't know what came over me at the time, I asked him if he wanted me to be grateful and be his "dog." If it was to trade the freedom of the rest of my life for a chance, I would rather not."
Qing Yu continued: "But the Old Master smiled and said no, he only needed me to always stand on the side of the Qing Family's interests. I went to Ember Military Academy, and he never contacted me again, as if the conversation that summer never happened... But I remember his words."
Qing Yu: "So, for the sake of the Qing Family's interests, even if I dislike Qing Kun, I won't hinder him in the overall situation. So you all think I should wait for the best offer, but in my opinion, I only made a choice that is in the interest of the Qing Family. The Secret Spy Agency is not that terrifying in Shadow's hands. Now I have to admit that what he has done these days is something I can't do. Every time I replay these days' battles on the Holographic Sand Table, I'm surprised. The battles are interlocking, completely crushing Shendai, and the Shadow troops didn't even have any casualties. It's amazing. Such a person should be the family head."
The deputy officer pondered for a moment: "But a sharp sword might not be suitable for the battlefield."
Qing Yu shook his head: "We're enough for the battlefield."
"You're agreeing that he should be the family head…"
Qing Yu smiled: "We have no other choice, do we?"
"You now hold military power…"
Qing Yu shook his head: "Me? I'm not the material to be the family head. If I were to be the family head, the Qing Family would be gone before long."
He looked at the deputy officer: "Go, inspect the camp. Many people will die tonight."
At this time, there were no more Shendai and Koshima troops at the Northern Front. The only ones he could kill were his own men.
The Qing Corporation army had gathered at the front due to the war. Although Qing Yu was the commander-in-chief, the front lines were not just his troops.
Qing Shi's father's troops, Qing Wen's mother's troops, Qing Yuan's father's troops were only obeying overall coordination.
Tonight, everyone would attack the family head, Qing Chen, in City 5, and the front line was probably well-prepared.
Those politicians and businessmen who made the attack were just being used. The real show was still hidden.
This was also why he sent Qing Chi back for a break.
In the City 5 banquet hall, it remained quiet.
Li Kerou, wearing a black evening dress, secretly observed the crowd.
She watched as those who had just questioned Qing Chen fell silent, and she felt secretly pleased, as if the one who won this round was not Qing Chen, but her…
She saw people exchanging glances silently and saw the awkward panic in some people's expressions.
Only Qing Chen calmly took a dessert from the table, as if Qing Chi's actions were unrelated to him.
Her best friend whispered: "No wonder you want to marry him."
Li Kerou calmly said: "You don't understand."
Others just thought she admired Qing Chen, but only she herself understood her feelings, which were admiration that transcended admiration, unrelated to gender.
No one of her peers could truly understand an ambitious person.
As an ambitious person.
While other girls were paying attention to cosmetics and boyfriends, Li Kerou had already begun to pay attention to current events every day.
Since Qing Chen was still the chief of the Intelligence Bureau One, she had secretly been paying attention to Qing Chen, collecting all information related to Qing Chen.
Then she gradually witnessed Qing Chen's growing influence.
Unlike other girls, Li Kerou was like Qing Chen's career fan; she only cared about Qing Chen's career progress…
The so-called career fan refers to those who care very much about their idol's career development, and pay close attention to information such as the idol's resource acquisition, business development, industry reputation, and award achievements, even using this information as an indicator to choose their idol.
Li Kerou was a fan of Qing Chen, willing to assist Qing Chen's career.
Therefore, when she saw Yang Yang on a blind date, she thought that this colleague was indeed very capable and would definitely be able to help Qing Chen's career greatly!
Of course, career fan is just a metaphor. Li Kerou is not a true career fan. While paying attention to Qing Chen's career growth, she also hopes to participate in it, play her role, and allow her family to enjoy the benefits of success.
So she was ambitious.
Her best friend whispered: "When you stepped forward for him just now, did you already know that military personnel would help him?"
"I didn't know," Li Kerou calmly said.
"What if he loses tonight?" Her friend was puzzled, "If he loses, your whole family won't be able to stand."
Li Kerou shook her head: "In this game, to gain the greatest benefit, you must be firm. Either we live together or we die together. There's no other choice."
"Now that Qing Yu has come out to support him, is the situation settled?" Her friend asked softly.
Li Kerou still shook her head: "It's not that simple. The military isn't just Qing Yu's. Since they dare to come out, they naturally have their confidence. It's just the beginning."
At this moment, a middle-aged man in the banquet hall looked at Qing Chen: "Even though you have outstanding military achievements, you still can't clear the suspicion of being possessed. The deceased Shendai family head may also have just been a shell. I even suspect that you are the Shendai family head."
Qing Ji said to Qing Chen: "It seems that they are determined to pin the blame on you tonight. Everyone is convinced that you cannot clear your name."
Qing Chen nodded: "Therefore, if the family head still insists on pushing me to be elected as the Board of Directors Chairman tomorrow, they will instigate the soldiers in the army; the Qing Family has been usurped by Shendai and will launch a mutiny? Even if Qing Yu supports me, they can use this opportunity to eliminate Qing Yu?"
"That's probably the idea," Qing Ji nodded.
Qing Chen asked indifferently: "But in that case, the Qing Family will start a civil war. Aren't they afraid that the kingdom, Shendai, and Koshima will immediately make a comeback? The front lines might be disrupted."
Qing Ji sneered: "Qing Yun, having lost his son, has gone mad."
The various forces of the front-line troops were now intertwined and complicated. They were naturally united when facing external threats, but not necessarily when facing internal issues.
Many people thought that Qing Yu was the commander-in-chief at the front, and all the troops were his direct subordinates, but this was not the case. He was just someone who united the troops.
This was also the confidence of those in the banquet who dared to challenge Qing Chen and the family head.
But launching a mutiny also required a reason. Even his own direct troops wouldn't easily follow him to Ginkgo Mountain to rebel.
Rebellion has always been a delicate matter, just like when Zhu Di of the Ming Dynasty rebelled, he had to raise the banner of "cleaning up the court": We are only here to eliminate the treacherous officials around the emperor, and we don't know why the emperor was burned to death!