Chapter 1 Is This a Dream?

Gu Shen slowly sat up, supporting his forehead.

Was all of this really a dream?

He couldn't believe it, nor could he accept it… The flying sand, weeds, and the dust assaulting his face when he left Da Du, the roaring engine, all felt too real.

"Don't even think about going out today."

Nan Jin opened the projection screen in the hospital room. "Teacher instructed that you should rest in the ward until you recover… Mental injuries are no small matter."

"I'm not seriously injured," Gu Shen said, shaking his head, his voice hoarse. "Besides, the nominations for alternate councilors are about to begin…"

The loading interface for Deep Sea Link flickered on the screen.

"The nomination ceremony for alternate councilors will be broadcast online," Nan Jin said. "You can watch it from here."

“…Is that so?"

Gu Shen gave a wry smile, abandoning the thought of struggling to get up.

He obediently lay back on the hospital bed, watching the countdown to the nomination ceremony on the screen, silently calling Chu Ling's name several times in his heart.

There was no response.

…

…

The nine districts of Eastern Continent were divided into the five districts of Jiangbei and the four districts of Jiangnan. Among them, Changye and Da Du, as the two core districts of Jiangbei and Jiangnan respectively, possessed absolute power and a seat in the council.

Twenty seats were allocated to the Eastern Continent.

Changye and Da Du each had one more seat than the other districts.

However… the third councilor seat in Da Du had been vacant for ten years. In fact, everyone knew that the vacancy was related to a major case that year.

The Lion Lane case in the old city.

Lu Cheng, the largest shareholder of Hua Zhi, fell in a blind spot of the surveillance cameras. There were no witnesses and no clues… The man who was supposed to take the third councilor seat in Da Du died, and there had been no suitable candidate for the position since.

For the past ten years, Da Du had maintained a delicate balance.

Hua Zhi and Nan Wan did not interfere with each other, coexisting peacefully and even jointly creating the "Sincerity Association" to resolve underground conflicts.

But in recent years, this balance had become increasingly difficult to maintain.

Zhao Xilai was getting older and older. Although Hua Zhi was large, it was in decline… The only successor, Zhao Qi, was unworthy and unable to take over such a large enterprise.

Although Nan Wan's momentum was small, it was gradually rising, vaguely showing signs of confrontation.

Neither side wanted the third councilor to be born… Neither wanted to risk the councilor seat being lost, adding assistance to the other side for nothing, nor did they want a "third party" to appear with equal strength, stealing the achievements of both sides, using the councilor seat to rise to power, and forming a tripartite balance of power in Da Du between Hua Zhi and Nan Wan.

But now.

Due to the Awakening Law, the nomination for the third councilor of Da Du… could no longer be delayed.

The arrow was on the string and had to be fired.

But on this tense day…

A party was being held on the top floor of the Hua Zhi Building. Senior figures within the group had received invitations and were invited to the top floor to participate in today's "feast." The top floor of Hua Zhi had been transformed into a spacious cocktail reception venue, with food carts, champagne, cakes, and desserts… It was hard to imagine that today was the highly anticipated "Alternate Councilor Nomination Day."

Logically speaking, the atmosphere today should be tense.

But the people who attended showed no signs of tension… Because the long-hidden Master Zhao had surprisingly come to the cocktail reception today. It was said that this reception was arranged according to his instructions.

Cui Zhongcheng pushed the wheelchair, standing guard by his side.

Hua Zhi's senior elites took turns toasting the "Godfather." The elderly Councilor smiled amiably, kissed their cheeks, and whispered blessings.

The banner hung on the wall behind him.

"We create miracles."

This was Hua Zhi's consistent creed, and indeed it was true… Over the years, Hua Zhi had created too many miracles. In this building, the power of countless elites gathered together, they pursued their dreams, and were thus fortunate enough to drive the progress of this era.

Virtual reality glasses, holographic helmets, Lifi technology… Even if it was just a small step.

It had changed everyone's life.

The Hua Zhi Group was already a well-known electronic information oligopoly company in the Five Continents.

For those who knew the inside story, the arc of their lips when they raised their glasses was a little higher than usual.

They knew the true meaning of the banner today.

Today was the day for alternate councilors…

This cocktail reception was a celebration banquet.

Celebrating Mrs. Lu's nomination and victory in advance.

According to the nomination process for alternate councilors in previous years, after the two sides submitted their nominations, they would each expound their ideological concepts and short- and long-term plans after taking office… Of course, the most important topic for alternate councilors this year was their stance on the Awakening Law.

Whether it was from the perspective of strength, status, or influence.

The alternate councilor from Nan Wan could not compete with Mrs. Lu… This was not a fair fight at all.

It was excusable to celebrate victory in advance.

A sudden, uninvited guest broke into the venue.

"Wait a minute… No admittance without an invitation…"

The voices of the two extraordinary beings guarding the venue were drowned out by the sound of a cane hitting the ground.

Everyone's attention was drawn to the entrance of the cocktail reception.

An old man in a white suit, leaning on a dragon-headed cane, walked with vigor, his expression stern and imposing, with a magnificent aura that told irrelevant people to quickly retreat, slowly entered the cocktail reception.

"Shu." (Tree)

Zhao Xilai, sitting in the wheelchair, smiled and spoke, intimately calling out Zhou Jiren's title in front of everyone.

Shu (Tree)

As the voice fell.

Everyone who attended the cocktail reception saw the old man's face clearly during this period, and could not help but feel a chill in their hearts.

This was the Grand Arbiter of the Eastern Continent Tribunal!

Mr. Shu also nodded with a smile, and the anger and majesty briefly disappeared when he showed his smile.

Sometimes like a Bodhisattva, sometimes like Yama.

"Today is a big day…"

Zhou Jiren came to Master Zhao's side, looked at the countdown on the cocktail reception projection screen, and said with a soft smile, "The little girl Lu Nanzhi is going to be an alternate councilor, how could I miss it?"

Cui Zhongcheng silently pushed his glasses.

It was not his turn to say anything unless the Councilor spoke.

The old man sitting in the wheelchair lowered his eyes and looked at his nose, not knowing what he was thinking…

"It was close, I didn't have an invitation earlier… I almost didn't squeeze in." Zhou Jiren picked up a goblet, poured himself a glass of wine, and smiled, "Tsk tsk, good wine… You've already started celebrating in advance?"

Zhao Xilai lowered his eyelids and just smiled slightly.

No invitation naturally meant he was not welcome.

Everyone understood this principle, but the old guy stubbornly pretended to be confused… And his special identity made it inconvenient to expose him.

"Since you're here, let's witness history together."

Zhao Xilai shook the wine in his goblet, took a small sip, and said softly, "I'm also happy for Lu Nanzhi for what she has achieved today."