LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 940-949
Chapter 940: Earning Some Breathing Space
They had probably bought most of the country’s media because they kept reporting on her good deeds.
One could say the two most famous women in Hwa Xia were Xinghe and Tong Liang. When the rumors of presidential election started flying, some said Tong Liang was planning to join the running and that gained quite a lot of support from the public. In today’s day and age, an election was nothing more than a popularity contest; the more famous candidate would most likely win. No one really cared about the candidate’s background or qualifications. As long as one had made a name for oneself, either through scandal or bright results in a field remotely related to politics, one would have a valid voter base.
Therefore, even without the announcement, the support for Tong Liang was already sky high. It was like the whole country was hoping she would become the President.
This phenomenon only confirmed Madam President and Elder Shen’s suspicion regarding the Tong family!
Actually, running for president was not a mistake inherently, but it was the way they went about it that earned their ire. They should not have betrayed Hwa Xia and colluded with outside forces. People like them were not qualified to run!
However, they chose to be patient, and the reason for that was still the same; Hwa Xia needed a breathing space. Xinghe impressed upon them the importance of waiting for the right time to strike, and for various reasons, they all believed her implicitly. Even the Vice President decided to respect her decision. This was because she would only come to a decision after figuring out all the angles, so her decision was always worth following.
Some could not help but worry.
“If we allow them to run rampant, what if they really got elected?”
Xinghe replied in a mild tone, “We have the Tong family’s criminal evidence with us. When the time is ripe, we can capture them directly.”
“You plan to focus on military defenses to prevent a sudden attack from Country W and the rest?” the Vice President asked. “But the defenses could be arranged in a few days.”
Hwa Xia had always been a military strong country. To prevent invasion, they had a powerful army.
Xinghe shook her head. “Not the troops but the defense system. If I am not mistaken, He Lan Yuan will help them take down our military’s internal system and probably our satellites as well.”
The crowd was stunned!
This was indeed a huge problem.
“You’re right, we cannot afford to be too careful. No matter what they’ve planned, we mustn’t overlook any possibility. We have to neutralize every possible threat!” the Vice President declared solemnly. Everyone else thought the same way. Dealing with this, no one dared to be careless. They did not think Xinghe was scaring them with her concerns.
“Miss Xia, you are really good at computer science. From your perspective, how do you propose we go about strengthening our technical defenses?” a general came forward to ask.
Xinghe stood up to pass everyone a stack of document. She then declared, “We have already come up with the solution for that. The document you have details the possible technology He Lan Yuan’s group can come up with.”
Chapter 941: Her Straight Forward Way
“We only need to focus on countering them.”
Everyone was surprised reading the document.
“Where did you get all this?” the Vice President asked with his jaw open. Xinghe answered truthfully, “From our friends from the moon. They have given me all the information on their advanced technology. It was thanks to them that we are able to solve the virus crisis so soon. The information they gave contained the research on a lot of different advanced technology. As long as we have this with us, we don’t need to afraid Country W and the rest using the technology against us.”
“This is all the advanced technology?” Someone asked.
“Not all.” Xinghe shook her head. “I only selected those that can created in a short amount of time. After all, it impossible for them to handle all that technology in a heartbeat. We only need to set up precautions against this simpler technology. We don’t need to worry about the rest for now.”
“Miss Xia, regarding the rest of the technological information, can you…”
“I can,” Xinghe answered before the general finished. The general was shocked, and others were touched by her straightforward attitude.
Xinghe said, “I can give you everything, but that is on one condition. The technology will be used for world peace and not infiltration and war.”
“Naturally!” the general promised seriously.
The Vice President stood up and promised, “Xinghe, don’t worry, we will not do anything to harm the world. This country and its citizens support and love peace; we are against any kind of war!”
“Of course, we will not betray your trust in us. You represent this country and world peace; we are all proud of you, so how could we possible disappoint you?” Others also stated their stance.
Xinghe naturally knew the kind of country Hwa Xia was. It was because she trusted them that she was willing to give them these things. This was all Shi Jian and the guys’ sweat and tears, so she would not allow anyone to use them to create havoc on the world.
It was why she did not hand it over when the United Nations first asked for it, as she’d suspected them since then.
At the end of the day, she had more faith in Madam President, Elder Shen, and the like compared to United Nations. At this point, she had to reveal this information to save the world, and if she had to choose one, she would give the technology to Hwa Xia.
…
After Xinghe handed the document over, she joined Hwa Xia’s tech team to conduct research. Her ability in computer science was truly inhumane. Her understanding of mathematics and physics was also at an impossible level. With her aid, the tech team’s research witnessed a drastic improvement.
At the same time, the news of the presidential election in Hwa Xia was officially announced. After the virus outbreak, Hwa Xia’s foreign relationships had maintained at a tense level. Country W and the rest kept finding reasons to come after Hwa Xia. The normal citizens might not have noticed it, but Xinghe, who was a part of the Embassy, felt the tension in full force.
Even in the military, tensions were high. Everyone was preparing for war; the situation was at level 1 alert. Even though a war might not break out, Hwa Xia was ready for one.
Tianrong and his forces were surreptitiously isolated.
Chapter 942: Her Name on the Candidate Roster
However, they did not realize it. They were too busy caught up in their sweet dream of conquering Hwa Xia. Furthermore, for the upcoming election, Tong Liang had been busy going about making alliances both on the surface and in the dark.
In actuality, many people only showed her support ostentatiously. Those loyal to the President knew it was almost over for the Tong family. Only the Tong family and their lackeys were kept in the dark.
Soon, the news of the presidential election was confirmed. The whole of Hwa Xia was focused on the election news. The candidate roster was long, and naturally, Tong Liang’s name was there.
Xinghe had been busy with her research, so she only caught up to recent news when she had free time. To her surprise, she found her name on the roster list as well…
Xinghe was surprised when she found out.
“Why is my name there?” She did not recall registering. Ali’s group ignored her comment and were happy on her behalf.
“Xinghe, after this election, you will be the world’s youngest female president; everyone will definitely love you,” Ali said excitedly.
Sam smiled proudly. “Naturally, our Xinghe was born for greatness such as this.”
“When you are president, you have to let us continue our duties as your bodyguards. Don’t replace us with some other people,” Cairn told her seriously.
Ee Chen said as he scratched his chin, “Doesn’t this mean I am going to be the President’s personal student?”
Ali cheered out loud, “Yay, our Xinghe is going to become president!”
“Quiet down please. I was asking, why is my name there?” Xinghe asked with exasperation, “Who registered my name?”
This kind of election required personal registration, and those without a certain caliber wouldn’t even be able to register. Many who knew they were not qualified did not waste time trying to register. Xinghe did not think she was qualified to run for the presidency.
“It’s me,” Mubai suddenly answered in his signature low growl. “It was me who helped you register.”
Xinghe looked at him with apparent shock. “But why?”
Mubai looked intensely at her and said with a smile, “Because the position suits you.”
“How does it suit me?” Xinghe’s brows were furrowed deeply. “How come you did not discuss it with me first?”
“If you don’t like it, you can always bow out. But I feel you’d better go fight for it.”
“Why?” Xinghe was confused.
Mubai explained slowly, “Because you will be in danger.”
Xinghe was utterly astounded. What danger, how come she had no idea?
Even Ali’s group were startled. “What kind of danger Xinghe will be exposed to?”
“That’s right, what danger is this?”
“None of you thought of this?” Mubai asked them in return, even though his question was mostly directed at Xinghe.
Xinghe’s mind was blank. Seeing her response, Mubai knew the thought had not crossed her mind.
“How come you are always so meticulous when it comes to other people but so careless it comes to yourself?” Mubai grumbled helplessly, “Haven’t you thought of the great danger that you will face in the near future?”
“What…” Danger.
Before Xinghe finished, the answer struck her like a red-hot iron.
“You mean, He Lan Yuan is coming for my life?”
Mubai nodded solemnly. “That’s right, he will try to kill you, and he will not rest until his objective is achieved.”
Ali and the rest seemed to finally get it as well.
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Chapter 943: My Life
“He’s right, after all, Xinghe ruined his life’s work, he would never forgive her. Mr. Xi, thankfully you thought of this; he will definitely come after Xinghe,” Ali said broodingly.
Sam chilled his gaze and said, “That old coot, I should have wrung his neck like a chicken!”
Xinghe could not help but agree with Sam. However, how could they have known certain countries would choose to collude with He Lan Yuan? They did as the United Nations wanted and sent them He Lan Yuan in cuffs, but they turned around to make use of He Lan Yuan against them; no one saw that coming. He Lan Yuan was humanity’s enemy, so who would have thought people would choose to work with him to further their own selfish goals?
Xinghe said in a flat tone, “I know he wants to kill me, but that doesn’t mean I need to run for president…”
“He will use other countries’ power to kill you,” Mubai directly interrupted her. Xinghe was startled as the truth came to her.
Mubai continued to explain, “Why would He Lan Yuan work with these countries? No one will help him or give him freedom. Then why would he work with them? What is his angle? I guarantee he traded his cooperation for your life.”
Sam and the rest agreed with him. They all agreed that He Lan Yuan would demand Xinghe’s life in exchange for his cooperation.
Mubai noted their comprehension and he continued, “No matter how powerful we are, we cannot rival the power of a whole country. They have many ways to assassinate us, so the only thing we can do is to not give them that chance.”
“By helping me become president?” Xinghe asked.
Mubai nodded. “Yes. When you have the highest seat of power, you can easily thwart the threat from other countries. No one can harm you easily then!”
Xinghe was stunned, not by suggestion of a presidency but by Mubai’s thoughts. He always managed to fill in the parts that she had neglected.
“There’s one more thing, have you thought about this?” Mubai pressed.
“What else?” Xinghe suddenly felt like her brain was going into overload.
“They will frame you and make you the public’s enemy,” Mubai said darkly, and when he said that, the whole room gasped audibly.
“Frame me?” Xinghe was confused.
Ali frowned. “How are they going to frame Xinghe?”
Mubai smirked coldly. “Naturally, they will say she intends to destroy the world.”
“Nonsense!” Sam was livid. “It was Xinghe who saved the world, so why would she destroy it?”
“As long as Shi Jian’s group stand forth to pin the blame on her, our enemies will have the chance to take us all down.”
“Shi Jian and the guys would never…”
Before Sam could finish, a frost fell over Xinghe’s face. “I understand now.”
Looking at them, she said, “He Lan Yuan can hypnotize them to do his bidding; he must have hypnotized them to create the virus in the first place. Similarly, he will hypnotize them to pin the blame on me, saying that it was me who ordered them to create the virus. When they do that, our enemies will do everything they can to make this sin stick. If Hwa Xia tries to hide me, they can use this opportunity to destroy Hwa Xia and start a war! In other words…. My life, they have staked a claim on it.”
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Chapter 944: You Are Hiding Something from Me
Sam and the rest were visibly shocked—
These were details that had not crossed their minds. They had not realized that their enemies could use the virus to frame Xinghe and bring Hwa Xia down.
“These people are too scary.” Cairn’s brows were furrowed furiously.
“Xinghe, you have to become the President.” Ali grabbed Xinghe’s hand and told her seriously, “I won’t let anything happen to you. After you become the President, no one will have the chance to harm you.”
“We will all support you, but what can we do?” asked Sam anxiously. They were only foreigners in Hwa Xia, so they could not even vote. No matter how powerful Xinghe was, the chance of her winning was slim compared to the publicity maniac, Tong Liang. Even excluding her, there were other candidates more likely than Xinghe to win who did not need to campaign.
Mubai consoled them, “Regardless of whether Xinghe can win or not, we must try. We can’t just sit here and do nothing.”
“You’re right, but I believe Xinghe will win. Even if she can’t, we will do everything we can to protect her!” Ali promised solemnly. The guys nodded along; they would put down their lives to ensure her safety.
There was a glisten in Xinghe’s eyes and she nodded. “Thank you, I will enter the running. I will not give our enemies any opportunity to harm me.”
Although her bigger purpose was to not to let her friends die on her behalf. Ali and the rest were glad she had promised to join the race.
However, Xinghe could only force a smile. She suspected things were not that simple. Xinghe turned to Mubai, and her gaze met his dark eyes. This man, what else has he done in the dark?
Xinghe suddenly stood up and told Mubai, “I have a private question for you.”
Then, she went upstairs to the bedroom. Mubai followed her into the bedroom and closed the door behind him.
“What is it that you want to ask me?” he asked with a wicked grin.
Xinghe whipped around to look at him and asked directly, “What else are you hiding from me?”
Mubai unconsciously averted his gaze slightly before answering, “Why would you ask that?”
Xinghe studied his face, not letting a single facial movement escape her detection. “You still have something you’re hiding from me, haven’t you?”
“I don’t; you’re overthinking this.” Mubai dismissed it with a smile, and he walked over to pat her on her head. However, Xinghe did not buy it at all.
“I can feel that you are hiding something from me. There has to be another reason why you want me to join this race so adamantly.” Xinghe’s clear pair of eyes were locked on him. “I want to hear the truth, so don’t try to lie to me.”
Mubai’s hand that was caressing her head stopped. He put down his hand with a sigh. “Sometimes being too clever is not a good thing. But I am not hiding anything bad from you, so it doesn’t matter if you don’t know about it.”
“However, since it is related to me, I must know about it,” Xinghe insisted. She did not intend to harp on at him, but she did not want to be unaware of the sacrifices Mubai had made for her.
“Xi Mubai, I am not a woman who only knows how to enjoy other people’s sacrifice. You can tell me anything; we can share the burden together, but I despise the feeling of being swindled.”
Mubai looked deep into her eyes and smiled helplessly. “Fine, you win. The reason I want you to participate in the presidential election is not only because I want to ensure your safety, but also I have a sure-fire method to help you win.”
Xinghe widened her eyes in shock.
Mubai noted the confusion on her face and explained in a whisper, “The Xi family is not as simple as we appear on the surface. We, too, have our forces in the dark.”
Chapter 945: You’re My Trump Card
“However, unless it is absolutely necessary like when the Xi family is facing real extinction, we will not make use of this power. This will help us get anything we want, including the seat of presidency. The Xi family is not interested in the path of politics, so we have been keeping the force as a last resort. However, you need the presidency now; I want to help you win.”
Mubai said that calmly and straightforwardly, but Xinghe was not an idiot. He was sacrificing the Xi family’s insurance to help her win the presidency. Wouldn’t that be a giant waste?
Furthermore, the Xi family would be exposed to danger after he used the power.
“Is it one-time only?” Xinghe asked.
Mubai nodded generously. “Yes, but to me, it is very much worth it.”
“How is it worth it?” Xinghe frowned slightly. “This is the Xi family’s trump card, and you are going to waste it on me; how is that worth it?”
“It is worth it,” Mubai said firmly. He looked at her and said, “For you, everything is worth it. Plus, it is related to your safety. This crisis is bigger than anything we’ve face; I cannot allow any accident to befall you.”
“I know.” Xinghe nodded. “But I have many methods I can employ to protect myself. I will not expose myself to danger. Until we reach the point of no return, we should not waste such a trump card. In any case, you cannot do this; the situation is not dire enough. I am adamantly against this.”
“You think I have not thought of that?” Mubai pulled her in and looked into her eyes. “If the situation does not demand it, of course I will not pull out this trump card. But this situation demands it; you have to win no matter what. We cannot make a wrong step now; I am not willing to gamble with your life.”
After a pause, Mubai said chokingly, “Because you are my trump card, the one thing that I hold dear, the only thing that I cannot lose.”
Xinghe’s eyes glistened. Mubai’s words had touched her deeply. She knew he cared about her, but she had no clue that he cared about her to the point where he was willing to sacrifice anything, even the Xi family’s trump card…
Mubai seemed to notice the complicated feelings in her heart, and he softened his voice to comfort her. “Actually, you don’t need to feel so pressured. Since the Xi family has acquired the trump card before, we can do it again. But if I lose you, where will I find another Xia Xinghe?”
“But don’t you think it is such a waste to use it on me?”
“Xia Xinghe, do you value your life so little?” A flash of annoyance appeared on Mubai’s face. “Have you thought of the possibility of the country sacrificing you to avoid a war even though they knew you are framed? They might trust you now, but no one can be sure of the future. For the sake of a whole country, sometimes, the sacrifice of one has to be made.
“In this world, there is light and darkness and there is darkness in every one of us. None of them will sacrifice the whole country to save one single person. Even if they want to, the rest of the country will not allow it, so the only way you can save yourself is to own the whole country, that way no harm will come to you. Only by being alive can you strike back. Don’t frivol away the sacrifice that I have given you, do you understand?”
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Chapter 946: Go for Broke
Xinghe was stunned. Of course, she understood what Mubai said. If their enemies framed her, then she would be in an indefensible position. Their enemies would use her as an excuse to start a war, forcing Hwa Xia to surrender her.
If Hwa Xia decided to protect her, there would be a full-scale war. To prevent the loss of lives, the possibility of them sacrificing her would be high. By then, no one would be able to save her. No matter how clever she was or how much she had sacrificed, it would be pointless. Even Mubai would not be able to save her…
No individual forces could rival the power of a whole country; the only choice was to get her on the same level as their enemies.
“Fine, we will do it your way,” Xinghe suddenly promised. “I must win the seat, and this time, we go for broke!”
Mubai finally smiled. “You should have come to that conviction earlier. Don’t worry, with my help, you will definitely succeed.”
“Thank you…” Xinghe could not help but give him a hug. She had many words on her mind, but she could only say this. The sacrifices that Mubai had made for her, she would probably use her whole life to repay, and it would still not have been enough. He had used his life to save her twice, and now he was sacrificing the Xi family’s trump card for her. They could have sat on the seat themselves, but to preserve her safety, he had given it to her. This kindness, she would be unable to repay even if she died in his stead.
Mubai hugged her in return and laughed. “What are you thanking me for? Everything I have is yours; you will never need to thank me.”
Regardless, she was appreciative of his help, and everything she owned was his as well. There was no longer a distinction of hers and his when they had reached that stage. Xinghe believed there was nothing in the world that could pull them apart anymore, not even death.
…
After Xinghe agreed to join the race, she had to make some preparations. The news that she was going to run for president was soon broadcasted over the country.
This was the first time such a young woman had entered the running for the presidency since the country’s establishment. Almost all the media started reporting on Xinghe. Weirdly enough, there was no voices of dissent, if anything, most were supportive of her decision.
Initially, the one with the greatest support had been Tong Liang. After all, an impressive woman had a mysterious allure that was not existent in a capable man.
However, with Xinghe’s arrival, she shifted the popularity scale. Ever since she’d destroyed Project Galaxy, her fans had started to appear all over the world. Since she came from Hwa Xia, naturally, the greatest number of her fans also came from Hwa Xia. No matter the age or sex, almost everyone was in her corner.
Even if some had reservations, it was because she was too young, and they were afraid she was too inexperienced to manage a country. However, the voices against her were practically non-existent.
In Hwa Xia, the selection of president was split 50-50. 50 percent of the votes came from the citizens while the other 50 depended on the votes from the congress. Therefore, popularity within the public did not mean everything.
Therefore, even though Xinghe had a high support rate among the public, Tong Liang was not worried because she knew Xinghe would not win at the congress. She was too young to know how to manage a country. She might be an incomparable scholar, but being book smart was not important.
To be a president, one had to be able to see the big picture which required life experience. On that point, Tong Liang was confident Xinghe was not her match.
Regardless, she still needed to fight for the public’s support, and the best way to do that was through speeches and campaigns. Usually the person with the best speech would win the public’s support.
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Chapter 947: Tong Liang’s Little Scheme
Tong Liang was an experienced public speaker. She had given more speeches than she could count when she was posted at the United Nations. In fact, she’d won her post as the vice secretary due to her public speaking skills. Giving speeches was second nature to her. Furthermore, the Tong family had hired a professional team to help her during the campaign.
Therefore, Tong Liang performed brilliantly for her first speech; she managed to fire up quite a sizeable crowd. The other candidates gave spirited speech as well, but it was clear they were not as good as Tong Liang.
Xinghe’s speech was nothing interesting, but she did pose an interesting presence. The serenity that she exuded with her every move was incomparable. That combined with her beauty and her past managed to smooth over the fact that her speech was not all that interesting.
The preliminary disqualified some people. Tong Liang and Xinghe naturally moved on to the next round.
“Miss Xia, congratulations.” After the result was announced, Tong Liang personally walked over to congratulate Xinghe.
Xinghe accepted her extended hand and replied with a thin smile, “Miss Tong, congratulations to you too.”
“No, the congratulations are all yours. You dared to enter the running even at your young age. That fearlessness is admirable,” Tong Liang said with a hint of sarcasm.
Xinghe smiled calmly like she did not pick up the hidden jab. “Compared to Miss Tong, I am still learning. After all, you have spent your whole life in politics and that is truly impressive.”
“You flatter me, but that is where my passion lies, so I am happy being part of it. On the other hand, Miss Xia has suddenly learned how to care for the country at her young age, and that brought shame to my face. Even as your senior, I feel like I should still learn from you, so please take care of me in the future,” Tong Liang said snidely. She was hinting at Xinghe’s impure intention for suddenly showing such intense care for the country.
“No, I should ask for Senior Tong’s advice. Regardless, I am sure I will be able to learn many things from Miss Tong during this campaign,” Xinghe replied with a smile. Her words were airtight; she did not reveal any information to Tong Liang.
Tong Liang gave a fading smile. “Miss Xia is too humble. You have so much, so you should feel proud about your accomplishments. It is necessary to show confidence.”
Tong Liang even patted Xinghe lightly on her shoulder like a caring sister and gave an encouraging look before leaving. Xinghe also left with a smile on her face, and their conversation was heard by the whole world.
Even though they were competitors, everyone felt they both held their own because they were immensely humble in their speech. As a country of morals, Hwa Xia appreciated humility.
Tong Liang had planned to trip Xinghe with her speech but had failed. Even Ali had seen through Tong Liang’s ploy.
“This woman is too much, even during a conversation, she is busy plying her tricks.” Ali huffed with indignation. For someone as straight-forward as her, the people she hated the most were the kind of white lotus like this Tong Liang.
Ee Chen laughed. “But that is politics. There will be traps everywhere, so none of the candidates are simple characters.”
“I hear you. Thankfully, our Xinghe is probably the most complex of them all,” Ali said with pride.
Regardless, Xinghe did not dare to let her guard down. The Shen family had given her everything to help her during the campaign. Even Madam President had given her private coaching from her personal experience. The Tong family might have a professional team, but the team behind Xinghe was not lacking in comparison.
Chapter 948: Her Personal Charm
Compared to Tong Liang, Xinghe’s speech style was slow but steady; it fitted her personality much more. The speeches that she gave amplified that quality of hers; people could see that she was trustworthy.
In contrast, Tong Liang’s speeches were kept at an all-time high. Her speeches were incendiary and spirited. Initially the crowd was excited, but several speeches later, they also started to get tired. This was because there was a limit to people’s excitement levels. If the hype kept on going endlessly, the achieved effect would often be the opposite.
Tong Liang’s team quickly found this weakness and they tried instantly to fix it and had Tong Liang use more slow and steady speech as well. However, that was Xinghe’s signature.
The crowd had seen it from Xinghe, so when Tong Liang tried to make use of the same tactic, they felt she was copying Xinghe. After three speeches, Tong Liang’s mood was low!
This was because her support level had visibly lowered, and she was now losing to Xinghe. For the earlier two speeches, she and Xinghe had each won one, but the difference was not big, it could be called a tie. However, this time her loss was obvious. If this was allowed to continue, she would lose big time.
However, the campaign trail tested the candidate’s patience the most. Until the last minute, no one could tell who would win. There could still be twists and turns.
Furthermore, even if she lost the popular vote, she could still rely on the congressional vote. Tong Liang was confident she would win the congressional vote because many had promised her their support.
With that confidence steeling her, Tong Liang threw herself back into the race. However, no matter how many good thoughts she kept sending herself and how hard she tried, her support stayed lower than Xinghe’s. The only benefit was after so many rounds, only she and Xinghe were left. She could focus on beating Xinghe. However, as the days passed by, Xinghe’s votes kept increasing, and the distance between them grew gradually.
Xinghe’s friends were overjoyed.
“Did you see that Tong Liang’s face just now? It’s darker than the dark side of the moon. Told you she is no match for our Xinghe,” Ali said gloatingly.
Sam was uncharacteristically cautious. “It’s not the time to celebrate yet. We mustn’t slip up now after all; this has not reached the end yet.”
“I know, I was just swayed by the general mood. I’m happy seeing Xinghe gaining so many public support.”
Cairn nodded with approval. “Xinghe does have immense personal charm.”
Even if she was young and inexperienced, with her charm alone, Xinghe had garnered many supporters, and charm was part of a president’s necessary qualities.
Xinghe did not purposely try to charm the public, but they were naturally attracted to her. During the campaign trail, she was calm, collected, and was not affected by the ruckus and distractions around her. This stability that shone from within had won over many people.
Tong Liang, even with her immense experience, was no match for Xinghe. Annoyed by Xinghe’s serenity, she lost her footing. Even though she did not showcase it, internally she was a nervous wreck.
There was one good thing about Tianrong, which was he knew her daughter well. With just one look at her, he understood what was on her mind.
Chapter 949: More Stable Than She Is
“Remember to stay your ground. The result is not confirmed until the last second. If you lose your footing now, how are you going to fight the rest of the war?” Tianrong berated her sternly. Like a bat to the head, his words soon woke her up.
“Father, you’re right, this will not happen again,” Tong Liang promised as she calmed herself down.
Tianrong nodded in satisfaction. “This is more like it. So many years ago, I lost due to lack of mental preparation as well. You mustn’t follow in my footsteps.”
“Yes, father!”
“Regarding that Xia Xinghe, just let her win for now. It isn’t necessarily a good thing to raise one’s head so high; it will only make you a target. That woman is still so young; she will eventually fall. She is weaker than you mentally, and thus, the victory will inevitably be ours!” Tianrong said confidently.
However, Tong Liang had her doubts. Was she really more mentally together than Xinghe?
This was a woman who once destroyed Project Galaxy, so they should not underestimate her. But, what else could she do but convince herself that she was better than Xinghe?
With the reminder from Tianrong, Tong Liang indeed felt much better. The difference between Xinghe and Tong Liang kept growing, but she stopped getting affected by it.
It was true that Tong Liang was a better public speaker than Xinghe, but that was not the only thing that decided the outcome of the public voting. One more important aspect was mental stability. Even though Tong Liang could not read Xinghe’s thoughts, she knew Xinghe was an expert in this field, and the ominous feeling within her heart grew.
As she expected, during the final voting, Xinghe won by a landslide!
When they knew this result, Tong Liang could not hold it any longer, and her inner confidence was shaken. Even her father, Tianrong, was overwhelmed by the result.
He said darkly, “Looks like this woman is worth her salt. Regardless, we cannot lose our spirit and confidence. The public voting is only half of the result; if you win at the congressional level, then you will beat her.”
“Father, what if I lose the congressional vote to her as well?” Tong Liang asked with uncertainty.
Tianrong flared up instantly. “Nonsense! How can we lose? The only reason the public voted for her is due to their stupidity and irrationality. The people at the congress still have their heads. That woman is too young and inexperienced to be the president. Furthermore, we have made so many arrangements, so they are all on your side.”
That’s right, they had greased many palms in the dark. These people would only side with her, and she would be the final victor. Tong Liang’s confidence grew because they had already fixed the result; she would definitely finish victorious. However, since Xinghe dared to go up against her, she would never forgive her!
“Father, after the result is announced, we must remove this woman.” A flash of iciness appeared in Tong Liang’s eyes. “That is our side of the contract, and the rage within me can only be extinguished by eliminating her!”
Tianrong smiled chillingly. “That is only natural. No one will be able to save her then, not even the Shen family.”
Imagining Xinghe’s horrible ending, Tong Liang started cackling. Yes, by then, no one will be able to save her, no one!
…
The congressional election finally arrived. This was the most crucial part of the election.
In the large circular congress hall, many of the country’s officials were seated. They were going to elect Hwa Xia’s next president.
This election was special because it was the first time there were two final female candidates.