coobybook Chapter 139 Public Voting for Pathfinders, Awaiting Good News to Introduce Dragon Riders
Chapter 139 Public Voting for Pathfinders, Awaiting Good News to Introduce Dragon Riders
No one in the room answered the question of who had led the scouts.
A brief silence fell over the room.
The leaders present were not cowards who feared death.
When the time is right, they all have the guts to take a gamble.
When it's time to stabilize, they can always maintain stability.
They knew that endless treasures lay within the Mysterious Realm of Xiyi, almost within their grasp, all they had to do was step through the portal before them; the problem was, now it wasn't a matter of who went in first and who got the treasure.
But the real skill lies in who has the last laugh and can safely take the treasure away.
Nobody wants to end up doing all the work for someone else at the last minute.
Seeing this, Zhou Qingfeng knew that no one would voluntarily step forward and make a selfless contribution at this time.
What to do next? We still need to cast a divination to see if entering the secret realm is auspicious or inauspicious.
If the divination indicates misfortune, then we will use the lives of these allies to clear away the dangers in the secret realm.
If the divination result is auspicious, then under the guise of scouting, they should be the first to enter and plunder the treasures.
Zhou Qingfeng silently summoned the mysterious scarlet divination stick deep in his consciousness and cast a divination for himself.
Draw lots!
Two divination sticks floated out from the scarlet divination stick.
[A very unlucky omen; entering the Mysterious Realm is ominous.]
[Auspicious divination: Let your allies clear away the dangers, while you reap the benefits. Good fortune.]
Following the principle of choosing the auspicious option if available, and choosing neutral if not, Zhou Qingfeng decisively chose not to go in.
However, getting others to lead the charge is not so easy.
This group of people are not just some insignificant nobodys; they have powerful backing and family influence.
The first family's three collateral branches are represented by the first Duanmu, the first Jinse, and the first Yujing, as well as the Zhu family represented by Zhu Jianxin, the Mao family represented by Mao Yuling, the Ma family represented by Ma Ruyi, and the Song family represented by Song Ye.
There is also the Wei family representative, the Wei family head, and the Gu family representative, the Gu family head.
At this point, if any one of them is designated to scout ahead, given their current state of mutual distrust and disunity, they are unable to unite and disobey orders. Even if they don't want to go, they have to obey orders and lead people in.
Others won't stand up for them; instead, they'll tacitly support them.
However, they will inevitably hate him and the Zhou family afterward, and will take revenge on him and the Zhou family whenever they have the chance. He has to bear all the damage alone, while other families will benefit from him.
Moreover, doing so will narrow your own path.
If a different referendum were held, allowing the families to vote on each other and choose one to scout ahead, acting as the referee without getting involved, then no matter which family is chosen, they wouldn't be able to blame you.
If you get hated for being a referee, it's okay. At most, everyone will share the burden, and you can personally step into the arena as an athlete, pull in other families, and uproot and completely annihilate the opposing side.
Zhou Qingfeng often accompanies his father to attend internal meetings of the Zhou family business.
Through extensive observation and learning, Zhou Qingfeng acquired many skills from his father, enabling him to find answers in his father's teachings no matter the situation he encountered.
Zhou Qingfeng looked around and said with a smile, "I know you all have concerns, that you're afraid of doing the work for someone else, but we can't all just sit here waiting for a windfall. Someone has to go in and check things out first."
"In my opinion, it would be better if you all voted fairly, justly and openly to decide who should lead the team in to scout ahead."
"To ensure fairness, I will act as a referee to prevent others from voting along with me and affecting the impartiality of the vote."
"In the end, we will follow the principle of majority rule. What do you think?"
Upon hearing this, everyone knew that continuing the stalemate was pointless, and no one wanted to benefit someone else. The best solution was to vote: "This is a good idea. Whoever we vote for will go in to scout ahead."
Zhou Qingfeng smiled slightly and beckoned with his hand: "Jin Wei, get paper and pen ready, let's start counting the votes."
Upon hearing this, Jin Wei immediately patted his storage bag and took out a blank notebook and a fine brush.
The representatives present exchanged glances, each deciding which person to vote for.
The Gu family head was the most nervous. He was all alone here now, with all his subordinates dead. He was truly isolated and powerless, with no say at all. If the others sided with him, he would be helpless.
After all, everyone understands the principle of picking on the weak, so how could the head of the Gu family not be afraid?
First, Duanmu was the first to raise his hand and vote: "On behalf of the first three collateral branches, I vote for the Gu family head."
Zhu Jianxin said, "I will also vote for Master Gu."
Mao Yuling said, "I vote for the Gu family head."
Song also said, "I will vote for Master Gu."
The head of the Wei family said calmly, "I will also vote for the head of the Gu family."
After everyone finished casting their votes, they all looked at Ma Ruyi.
Ma Ruyi shrugged, raised her hand, and said, "Me too."
First, Duanmu faced Zhou Qingfeng and clasped his hands in a salute: "Special Envoy Zhou, the voting results are in."
Zhou Qingfeng glanced at the Gu family head, feeling helpless about the outcome. After all, the Gu family head was the weakest one present, so who else could he target but him? The only thing he could do was to provide him with more manpower.
This is how the world is in its five turbidities and evils: the weak are preyed upon, it's just a matter of different outward manifestations.
"Patriarch Gu, do you have any objections to this result?"
Upon hearing this, the head of the Gu family smiled bitterly, clasped his hands and said, "I have no objection and am willing to scout ahead for the special envoy and all the other envoys. However, if I go to scout ahead alone, I am afraid there will not be enough manpower and I will not be able to find out the truth."
Zhou Qingfeng reached out and supported the Gu family head's arm, comforting him in a kind voice, "There's no need to worry about that. I will temporarily draw manpower from each family member to give you orders. You won't be fighting alone."
"Master Gu, remember, if you encounter mortal danger, prioritize preserving your life and do not linger in battle."
Upon hearing this, the head of the Gu family's eyes immediately welled up with tears. All the forces were bullying him because he was alone and outnumbered, but only Zhou Qingfeng was thinking of him. Not only did he not kick him when he was down, but he also offered to give him manpower. He was truly benevolent.
He realized that everyone here was a bad person, except for Zhou Qingfeng, who treated the Gu family well.
"Thank you for the reminder, Special Envoy Zhou. I will remember it." The head of the Gu family clasped his hands in thanks, feeling deeply grateful. However, he could not act like a little girl, so he could only keep this gratitude in his heart and repay it generously when the opportunity arose in the future.
Zhou Qingfeng nodded slightly, turned his head and instructed, "Zhiqi, you go in with Patriarch Gu."
"Yes, young master." Zhiqi knew this was dangerous, but it was also an opportunity to make a name for himself. Moreover, the young master had personally chosen him, so there was no room for refusal. Even if it meant risking his life, he had to bite the bullet and take the plunge.
Zhou Qingfeng faced the crowd and said calmly, "Each of you should send one person to accompany Patriarch Gu into the Xiyi Secret Realm to explore and ensure that if any unexpected situations arise, someone can return alive to report back."
Upon hearing this, no one objected. Each of them sent out one of their own Food Fiend Realm followers, making a total of eight Food Fiend Realm cultivators. Together with the Gu family head, they entered the Xi Yi Secret Realm.
Seeing this, the group found places to sit down and rest. Taking advantage of the break, they all took out their communication devices to notify the main force to bypass Despair Slope and come to this place to meet up.
Zhou Qingfeng was also notifying the main force: "Captain of the Guards, find me based on the location of the communication bracelet. I have successfully located the Xi Yi Treasure and am currently exploring it."
The captain of the guards replied, "Understood. I will lead the dragon riders immediately and arrive as soon as possible."
One hundred heavily armored dragon riders—that's Zhou Qingfeng's authority.
All power is built upon violence, and violence is often manifested in the form of killing machines like the military.
If a country wants to keep its power from being threatened, then an army is an indispensable part of it.