Elder Xu, Tang Wen, and others turned back, immediately stunned.
The man surnamed Song spoke the truth; the person who arrived was none other than the Chairman of the Tongmen, Sun Tengfei.
After a long pause, someone whispered:
"The Chairman is here?"
"The Chairman is actually here?"
"Isn't that..."
If there was anyone most shocked among them, it was precisely Elder Xu.
Precisely because he was an old member of Tongmen, he knew a great deal about the sect's affairs.
In recent years, many incidents had occurred within Tongmen, leading to numerous problems.
These had caused the general headquarters' control over local branches to continuously weaken.
It was precisely because of this that Father Xia had acted recklessly, and Elder Xu had become ambitious, constantly bolstering his own influence.
For example, appointing Tang Wen as the leader of the branch was one of his schemes.
He had thought it would go smoothly, but unexpectedly, first Song Qiao appeared to cause trouble, and now the Chairman himself had arrived.
He felt uneasy.
If his schemes were discovered by Chairman Sun, he feared he would be in trouble.
At this moment, seeing Sun Tengfei, the members of the sect immediately bowed respectfully, greeting him in unison: "Greetings, Chairman!"
Sun Tengfei smiled and greeted everyone.
He still appeared as friendly as if he had just met them.
This scene made Song Qiao, who knew the inside story, sigh. He was indeed worthy of being the Chairman; even with his power weakened, a tiger still commanded respect.
Tang Wen looked at Sun Tengfei, bowed mechanically, and stood with his mouth agape, unable to recover for a long time. Song Qiao had actually summoned Chairman Sun Tengfei?
At this moment, even Xia Haibin, who was lying on the ground with a sore backside, forgot to groan.
He was equally shocked, unable to believe what he was seeing.
This Song Qiao really had a connection with Chairman Sun, and their relationship seemed quite close.
If this was the case, wasn't it all over for him?
His good days were likely coming to an end.
Sun Tengfei first greeted Song Qiao, "How is it, I'm not too late, am I?"
"You've arrived at the perfect time!" Song Qiao smiled calmly.
Their exchange of words astonished everyone. Song Qiao truly knew Chairman Sun, and their relationship seemed intimate.
Even Elder Xu and others standing nearby felt that Sun Tengfei showed a hint of deference towards Song Qiao.
Sun Tengfei turned around and went directly to Elder Xu, "Don't you recognize me?"
Elder Xu raised his hand and respectfully bowed, "Greetings, Chairman."
His tone trembled slightly, and it was certainly not from excitement.
At this moment, Teng Haibo was the happiest.
This was a tremendous surprise.
He hadn't expected Mr. Song to actually invite the Chairman.
After all, in recent years, the Chairman had been elusive, rarely seen.
With the Chairman present, wouldn't his position as branch leader be secured?
Thinking of this, his face flushed, and his body trembled slightly, but in a completely different way from Elder Xu.
Although he had tried his best to gauge Song Qiao's influence, he had underestimated it.
Mr. Song's capabilities were truly unfathomable.
With these thoughts, he secretly vowed to stick close to Song Qiao.
No one could stop him!
As for Tang Wen on the other side, the smile had long since vanished from his face, replaced by a cold sweat.
His heart was sinking to the bottom.
It was over. Judging by Elder Xu's demeanor, his long-coveted position as branch leader was likely gone.
However, he was unwilling to let his meticulous planning go to waste.
At this moment, Sun Tengfei finished his greetings with the crowd and surveyed the scene again, directly stating, "I support Teng Haibo as the branch leader. Does anyone have any objections?"
Those who had supported Teng Haibo spoke up one after another.
"We support the Chairman!"
"Thank you, Chairman, for upholding justice!"
"We have no objections, the Chairman is wise!"
Tang Wen's faction remained silent.
Sun Tengfei's brows slowly furrowed.
Tang Wen glanced around, feeling that the hearts of the people could be swayed. Gritting his teeth, he stepped forward, "Chairman, I am not questioning your decision, but according to the opinions of many here, Teng Haibo is not suitable for the position of leader."
A sharp glint flashed in Sun Tengfei's eyes.
Seeing Tang Wen become the vanguard, Elder Xu pondered for a moment and then spoke, "Chairman Sun, this is a matter of great importance, please reconsider. After all, we are here today to jointly nominate a leader. And I believe Tang Wen is more suitable, with most of the members holding the same opinion."
A large number of members began to speak, their voices a babble, mostly supporting Tang Wen.
Tang Wen continued, "Chairman, please be discerning. I believe I am more suitable. If a blind choice is made, I fear discord within the sect, leading to chaos. Only when hearts are united can we work effectively."
Sun Tengfei's expression turned grim.
He hadn't expected Tang Wen to be so audacious.
Seeing Sun Tengfei's reaction, Tang Wen also felt uneasy, but since the arrow was already nocked, he could only push on.
"Furthermore, the matter of jointly nominating a leader is not exclusive to our branch. If this news spreads to other branches, it will influence their thinking and be detrimental to our Tongmen."
Sun Tengfei's eyes fixed on Tang Wen, causing sweat to pour from his face.
After a long while, he turned to look at the assembled members and nodded, "What you two have said is not without reason. Then, how can we ensure that the sect members are truly convinced?"
Elder Xu spoke frankly, "Let's follow the rules of the martial world! There are now two candidates: Teng Haibo, supported by Mr. Song, and Tang Wen, supported by myself. This matter should naturally be resolved by us two."
Sun Tengfei felt a headache coming on.
He sensed that the situation had already gone beyond his control.
He looked at Song Qiao.
Song Qiao smiled at him, full of confidence, "I have no problem."
Although Sun Tengfei was inwardly puzzled, he knew the current situation was still within the other party's control.
Moreover, considering Song Qiao's methods, he felt somewhat reassured.
"Elder Xu, please state the specific rules!" Song Qiao appeared somewhat indifferent.
Elder Xu gazed at Song Qiao for a moment. Just as he was about to stand up and suggest that he and Song Qiao compete, a sudden unease struck him.
This Song Qiao, while appearing ordinary, always gave him a sense of unfathomable depth.
No, he couldn't afford to be tripped up by an inferior opponent.
Therefore, he smiled, "You and I are people of status. It would not look good if we were to personally engage in combat. I think it would be better to arrange for our respective disciples to compete. This way, we will maintain our dignity and avoid damaging our harmony."
Song Qiao was taken aback and frowned.
He had intended to fight Elder Xu himself.
To achieve this, he had gone to great lengths, such as provoking him with words and feigning weakness.
He had not expected this cunning fellow to not fall for his trap.
However, today, the only one by his side was Gao Meng. Should he send her into battle?
This young lady's martial prowess was sufficient, but her temperament might not be ready yet.
Furthermore, if the opponent sent a true master, even if she could win, it would be a hard-fought victory with a heavy price.
If all else failed, he would have to fight himself.