Yes, Madam Prime Minister

Page 437

The three were still a little dizzy and injured, but they did not hesitate or slow down. They broke through the ruins and ran for their lives in three different directions.

A few minutes later, Ashley killed the three men and carried their bodies to her subordinates who were waiting some distance away. Her mission was complete, and what followed was no longer her concern.

Meanwhile, Guo Hanlu was on her way back.

Her task was long over; in fact, it wasn't really a task at all—she was just guiding the way and bearing witness.

The sabotage was all done by people from the former military headquarters.

Things went unusually smoothly. But thinking about it, it makes sense. The primary responsibility of the military headquarters was to act as a "spy." While they had neither the need nor the strength to infiltrate enemy territory to cause sabotage, they had to prevent enemy forces from causing damage within their own territory. The skills of committing crimes and preventing crimes are actually interconnected; in fact, those who prevent crimes from being committed are often more adept than the criminals themselves.

This time, the target was completely undefended, so how could things not go smoothly?

"Miss Guo." A middle-aged man, who was also the leader of this operation, called out to Guo Hanlu.

"What is it?" Guo Hanlu asked.

“I have a suggestion for you to report to your superiors immediately. Next, we can launch an investigation against them under the pretext of ‘investigating hostile forces’ spies for deliberate sabotage.’ We should take them all into custody and not give them any time to react.”

Chapter 1017 has come to an end, but that's a minor matter; the real new blood...

The swift and decisive action left many people reeling, and by then everything was already coming to an end.

A large family with several hundred members and two business associations that controlled a great deal of wealth had their top leaders arrested and their middle-level members imprisoned.

It was basically a complete uprooting, and a total of over a hundred people were able to eat vegetarian meals that could cleanse their souls.

There was no other way; among these hundreds of people were many extraordinary individuals, and ordinary prison food could not contain them. Moreover, there were not enough places available at the moment, so they had to be locked up in the temple.

Meanwhile, in order to ensure that production was not affected, a large group of people originally belonging to the Zhennan Military Command quickly took over.

The people in the military headquarters were a special force that both fought and did business, so taking over these properties was a piece of cake for them.

The next step is the trial process.

However, this trial will be delayed for a long time, because the new law will not be promulgated until the expanded conference is completed, and the new judicial organs will not be established to carry out the trial.

At this point, interrogation work can be carried out, but of course, the arrests are still ongoing.

After all, powerful clans and merchant guilds like these are never short of henchmen, and Ronan has no intention of letting these people go.

In reality, the general public simply applauded the tragic end of these high-ranking figures, because they didn't have any direct experience of their evil deeds. Therefore, it was necessary to make a big effort to catch those henchmen who ran rampant in the countryside and wreaked havoc on the streets, so that the people could feel a sense of participation and experience the new atmosphere brought about by the new government under the leadership of the committee.

Meanwhile, the internal purge is still ongoing.

After all, many people within the organization anonymously reported on other individuals.

The committee has a small number of members, but its various departments have a considerable number of staff.

For a time, people were filled with anxiety, but soon they calmed down because an emergency meeting was held. At the meeting, a vote was taken to stop these internal tasks once the expanded meeting began, and no further action would be taken.

In other words, the number of people who have to eat vegetarian food with those people will not be very large.

The committee thus returned to stability.

Once things stabilized, everyone's focus shifted back to the struggle for power.

Although the vast majority of the committee's upper echelons were not from Guangdong and came from different places, they were originally high-ranking officials from Guangdong. The middle and lower levels of the committee were full of people from Guangdong.

The general sentiment is that we don't want outsiders to come in, but the trend of outsiders coming in is unstoppable, and in order to expand, we shouldn't stop it. Everyone understands this.

Therefore, the focus now is on how to occupy key positions as much as possible.

At this moment, at Ronan's home.

With the internal purge largely complete, Ronan returned home and began working in his backyard, a blend of Eastern and Western styles.

Ronan, who was reading a letter, put it down when he saw Guo Hanlu arrive and said, "Little Guo, you're early. Your daughter will probably be tired of playing before she can settle down."

Guo Hanlu's daughter, nicknamed Guo Shiliu, often plays at Luo Nan's house now. It's not that there's anything fun at Luo Nan's house, but rather that there are "big sisters" to play with her. Although Luo Nan's women rarely gather together, there are always a few at home who are free, and they all like children. After all, many of them want to have a child, but Luo Nan doesn't allow it because having a child would interfere with their work too much.

Guo Hanlu usually comes to pick up the child around sunset, but it's still early before sunset.

"No rush," Guo Hanlu said.

Today she was dressed in a red and black female warrior outfit, with tight-fitting trousers and boots. Her hair was not her usual slightly complicated updo, but a simple ponytail, so she could sit very casually opposite Ronan.

"Oh," Ronan responded, continuing to read the letter, not intending to chat with her for more than a few words.

Ronan didn't intend to talk to her, but Guo Hanlu took the initiative to ask, "You seem very happy. Is it because the internal problems have been resolved smoothly, or because the personnel arrangements have been finalized?"

“These are all minor issues that are easy to resolve. Anyone in my position could handle them,” Ronan said casually. “Whether it’s purging the internal factions or maintaining the balance of power among the factions, it’s all because this is a newly formed organization. In a new organization, these things are easy to manage.”

"I am happy because I see hope for a solution to the biggest problem facing this new organization."

"The biggest problem?" Guo Hanlu asked, puzzled.

“That’s right. The biggest problem for an organization is that it needs real fresh blood, people who have the potential to grow into the next generation of leaders. Such people are extremely rare,” Ronan said.

Guo Hanlu's expression tightened, and she hesitated, "But, you..."

“Me? Even if I weren’t a Westerner, I couldn’t be a leader.” Ronan put down the letter. “Someone like me, who is good at everything but lacks passion, cannot be a good leader. I can manage now, but eventually it will be handed over to you Seres. And to be honest, none of the people in power on the committee right now have the charisma and presence that a leader should have.”

"A true leader is someone whose words alone are enough to make you believe in him and follow him, even if he is not as good as you in terms of status or ability. It is a kind of innate personal charisma."

Ronan said.

"How could there be such a person?" Guo Hanlu thought it was pure nonsense.

“The young man who wrote to me has that quality,” Ronan said.

Guo Hanlu still looked incredulous. "Who is he?"

Ronan replied, "He's a young man from a small landlord family in Fujian. He's still a student and his talent in supernatural powers is average. He's in his early twenties and not yet a full-fledged member. Of course, he's still far from it now, and he may become mediocre in the future, but I think he has the potential to become the backbone of our organization's next generation."

“This is a good omen, so I’m happy.”

Ronan's joy was palpable. The committee members were merely being led by him, and most of the young people were just rebelling for the sake of rebellion. Their vision was too narrow, their anger too intense, and none of them were truly decent.

"There are plenty of scholars who write letters and spout arrogant nonsense. I never expected you to appreciate this kind of person," Guo Hanlu said with a hint of disdain.

Ronan shook his head. "You people from high-class backgrounds just look down on those who come from humble backgrounds."

"That's not what I meant." Guo Hanlu immediately got angry and retorted, "There's nothing special about one's background, but people like us are generally more knowledgeable and have a higher standard of vision. You can't deny that, can you?"

"Your understanding is nothing more than sharing your delusions with other self-important people. It's no different from the idle chatter of village women. Your vision is like looking out from a high city tower at the bustling streets that even the dirtiest corners are hidden, just like an old farmer whose eyes can only see the fields."

Ronan said casually.

"I'm not!" Guo Hanlu denied excitedly, having unknowingly become very concerned about Ronan's evaluation.

Ronan tried to comfort him, "I didn't say you were, don't get agitated, Xiao Guo."

"I'm not that kind of person!"

Chapter 1018 A Change of Clothes, Holding Too Tightly, A Conflict Between a Father and Son

"Yes, yes, I understand, you're right," Ronan said somewhat perfunctorily.

He didn't want to waste time arguing with her, and it wouldn't do him any good to make his secretary, who was assisting him with his work, angry. So he "gave in," but this tone undoubtedly made Guo Hanlu even more anxious, and she glared at him angrily.

Seeing this, Ronan knew that it would be useless for him to say a few conciliatory words.

"How about this, come with me and let's meet that interesting young man," Ronan suggested, combining a site visit with a two-day trip.

"Okay." Guo Hanlu agreed without even thinking.

We also planned to prepare something, and set off after a while.

Ronan went straight to greet Ambrina, then went back to his room to change.

When Ronan returned, Guo Hanlu was nowhere to be found.

"She went home to change her clothes. She probably won't do her hair or anything, but she'll probably put on makeup and bring some things."

"Ambriina said to Ronan."

Ronan couldn't help but think to himself, "Women are such a hassle."

"Anli, come here quickly." Guo Hanlu's daughter, Guo Shiliu, shouted from afar. This child had really become familiar with Ambriina and did not treat Ambriina as an elder at all, always calling her by her nickname.

"Coming, coming!" Ambrina quickly responded and rushed over.

Ronan shook his head. Even Louis didn't receive this treatment back then, let alone Lucien Jr. and Ina.

Guo Hanlu returned after almost an hour.

She was still wearing a red female warrior outfit with a cross-collar, and a wide vermilion leather belt around her waist with an embroidered cloth bag hanging from it, which was stuffed full of things. She had changed her tight trousers to a black high-waisted long skirt, and her shoes were still the same pair of reddish-brown deerskin boots with small square heels that had been modified from riding boots.

What Ronan didn't know was that she had changed into a new pair of stockings.

Ronan summoned his levitation shield, lightly leaped onto the large horizontal shield, and called out to Guo Hanlu, "Go!"

Guo Hanlu lifted her skirt with both hands and took a big step forward.

"Hold on tight, take off immediately." Ronan said, and three more fan-shaped shields appeared, one on the left, one on the right, and one above, forming a cone-shaped windbreak in front.

Ten seconds later, it took off with a whoosh, drawing a huge upward arc in the air, quickly rising to a height of several hundred meters, and continuing to ascend slowly, breaking through the air.

In mid-air, Ronan couldn't help but speak up, "Could you loosen your grip a little? Are you planning to tear my shoulder apart?"

"How can I stand steadily if I don't hold your shoulders?" Guo Hanlu asked, a little annoyed.

At this high speed of hundreds of meters per second, this posture was already quite difficult for her. If possible, of course, it would be most stable to hug Ronan, but such a movement was definitely not feasible.

“Your basic skills are really poor. If you could use your spiritual power well, you could stand firm.” Ronan said, and couldn’t help but sigh. “Seris is full of people like you who treat cultivation as a stepping stone to advancement. You only practice but don’t use it. Otherwise, many people wouldn’t be like this now, with poor combat power and poor theoretical knowledge.”

"I..." Guo Hanlu wanted to explain, but didn't know how, so she could only sulk and increase the pressure on her hands.

Unfortunately, Ronan's comment about his shoulder being scratched raw was just a joke; no matter how hard Guo Hanlu tried, she couldn't actually hurt him.

The target was in western Fujian. They set off in the afternoon, and before evening, Luo Nan and Guo Hanlu had already arrived.

School had already started, so Luo Nan and Guo Hanlu went straight to the school to find someone.

They had just arrived when school was over.

These days, nighttime lighting is too expensive, so schools close as soon as it gets dark.

Ronan, being a foreigner, was somewhat conspicuous, so he asked Guo Hanlu to inquire about the target's residence.

The target, Yan Guangzong, was the son of a landlord in a mountain village. His home was quite far from the city, so he usually rented a house there.

Luo Nan made Guo Hanlu claim to be a colleague of Yan Guangzong's uncle.

Yan Guangzong's uncle, Yan Youshui, was one of the workers selected for military training who stood out from the crowd. He later converted to Christianity and, because of his faith, learned the teachings of Falek, directly becoming a first-rank official. He made some contributions in the war and is now a squad leader with a full complement of fifty men under his command. He is considered the highest-ranking junior officer. If he is promoted further, he will enter the ranks of military officers with official titles.

Yan Youshui became successful, rising from a worker to an officer. Naturally, he wanted to return home in glory. It was he who told Yan Guangzong, who was already full of curiosity about Guangdong, many of the realities of Guangdong. Only then did Yan Guangzong write that letter.

Yan Guangzong didn't dare say that he was going to show the letter directly to Luo Nan, for fear of frightening his uncle. He only said that Guangdong was definitely going to attack Fujian, and that he had some strategies on his side, so that his uncle could show them to his superiors.

Later, Liu Chongsi received the letter. He opened it and saw that the writer had written at the beginning that he hoped the letter could be forwarded to Ronan. He immediately handed it to his mother, Lu Jianling, who gave it to Ronan without even reading it.

"You're looking for Guangzong? He took leave yesterday to go home. I heard his father is sick," a classmate said.

Guo Hanlu nodded her thanks, then turned to Luo Nan and explained the situation.

Ronan and Guo Hanlu took off again, heading to the young man's home.

At this moment, Yan Guangzong, who had received the letter yesterday morning, asked for leave, set off in the afternoon, and had been on his way, finally arrived home.

Then, as soon as I stepped over the threshold and into the courtyard, I saw my father leisurely smoking, showing no signs of being seriously ill.

Yan Guangzong's father, Yan Youtian, was also an extraordinary person and an old pirate. However, after their ship owner was granted amnesty, they disbanded. Yan Youtian was just a minor leader on the fringes, and he was over forty years old. He was neither capable of becoming an official nor had the courage to follow some people and continue being a pirate. So, he used his spare money to come to this place, bought some land, and even built a tea plantation.

To his utter surprise, he married the daughter of a small landlord when he was in his forties, and they had a son who was also an extraordinary person. This was a dream come true for many wealthy men.

But what he didn't expect was that his son became more and more rebellious as he grew older, and took him less and less seriously.

"Father, you lied to me," Yan Guangzong said, his helplessness far outweighing his anger.

“My son, if you were exceptionally talented, it would be understandable if you didn’t acknowledge me as your father. But your talent is really just average. You’ll probably only reach the first rank in this lifetime, at most the second rank. Don’t think that being a superhuman means you can get a title and a position of power and enjoy life. I’ve met some great people in the first half of my life. Let me tell you, someone like you with low talent and no background can only become a minor official, or even be conscripted into the army.”

“If you didn’t have me as your father, that would be a good way out. But your father is now considered a big landowner in this area. Although I’m not extremely rich, I don’t lack food or clothing, and I live a carefree and happy life.”

"If you work hard for another ten years, all these mountains will be yours. Better to be the head of a chicken than the tail of a phoenix, son."

Yan Youtian, the father, offered earnest advice.

In his mind, being a local tyrant in an area that others don't think much of is much better than going to the officialdom or the army.

Chapter 1019 Father-Son Conflict: Those with High Cultivation Levels Are Ineffective; Reasons for Appreciation

Yan Guangzong remained silent.

Silence was his answer.

Yan Youtian, who was over sixty but still lean and strong with few wrinkles and gray hair, took a couple of puffs of his cigarette, stood up, and said, “Since you’re not willing, then get married, have a child, and do whatever you want after that. You can never come back.”