In the name of supernatural powers

Chapter 158 The Power of the System

"Alright, find some time to call her over so I can meet her. If she's a good match, we can arrange the marriage."

Liu Hanwen waved his hand dismissively, adopting the demeanor of a patriarch.

Secretary Liu quickly stopped her, saying, "Boss, you can't do this. Wouldn't that be an arranged marriage? Young people these days value freedom in marriage and love."

His biggest flaw as a leader is that he is too domineering. It doesn't matter in the officialdom, but who can be domineering when they become a regional governor?
Every powerful figure who climbs to a high position has their own stubbornness and arrogance.

Having held power for two or three decades, he had long since developed an air of official authority that emanated from within and was completely natural.

However, this domineering attitude should not be directed at family members, especially when it comes to marital issues.

Secretary Liu had worked under Liu Hanwen for eight years, and he felt that Lin Zhiyan's introverted nature in the past was due to his family background.

Lin Zhiyan's father died in battle, her mother died young, and her guardian, Liu Hanwen, was too domineering, always taking care of everything for her.

After returning from a year at university, his personality changed drastically. Although Secretary Liu wrote in the report that it was because of Lu Zhao, he also subtly cursed the old chief.

Take, for example, the matter of choosing a fiancé for Lin Zhiyan. Regardless of the fact that the young woman is in her twenties, the old leader immediately presented a pile of photos and documents, saying:
"Xiao Yan, pick one you like from there."

At that moment, even Secretary Liu couldn't hold back anymore.

If he hadn't checked the calendar, he would have thought the Ming Dynasty hadn't fallen.

Liu Hanwen frowned slightly: "Major life decisions should naturally be made by elders. I've seen more than Xiao Yan has ever seen, so I can't be wrong."

"Besides, I think Xiao Yan likes it quite a bit, doesn't she? Ever since she went to Fang City, she's been talking about it to me non-stop."

Liu Hanwen had initially wondered where this gigolo came from, but after his secretary investigated and found that Lu Zhao was indeed a good catch, he turned a blind eye.

In addition, he didn't have the energy to deal with the previous problem of the Water Beast Cave.

Secretary Liu said with a bitter face, "Boss, even if she has feelings for him, you can't arrange it like this. Miss Lin has been very rebellious since college, and this might backfire."

"Instead of taking over, we should create opportunities for the two of them."

Liu Hanwen asked, "How do we create it?"

Secretary Liu replied, "Haven't you been introducing potential partners to Miss Lin all along? We can continue to arrange them, but they have to be less desirable."

"That makes sense. I'll leave this to you."

Liu Hanwen spent his life in the military, remaining a bachelor and unable to understand matters of love and romance.

For him, officials don't need love, they don't need to be in relationships. Because an official's time belongs to the country, their lives don't have the concept of rest or leisure.

Especially after a major catastrophe, a compliant official must be prepared to die with it.

When you have sexual needs, you take care of them. There's not much romantic love involved; it's like smoking a cigarette.

For officials, beautiful women are one of the cheapest forms of enjoyment.

When Liu Hanwen turned sixty, and he completely lost interest in sex, he felt that he was finally complete as an official.

His close friend Lin Yinong put it even more bluntly:
'Supernatural powers can suppress sexual urges and completely inhibit the effects of hormones on the brain. Therefore, a high-quality official should not have romantic relationships, much less marry and have children.'

Officials who have no descendants are more rational and correct in choosing successors than those who have descendants.

This statement eventually led to the 'autocratic officialism' that is still prevalent in federal government today, and subsequently became the selection mechanism for the Wuhou after the Great Cataclysm.

Zhuge Liang chose a non-blood-related person as his secretary, as the successor to his political assets.

Later, Lin Zhiyan's grandfather started dating, which angered Liu Hanwen so much that he almost broke off their friendship.

On the other side, Secretary Liu had just finished the background check at noon, and that evening, news of Lu Zhao's dual supernatural abilities reached the South China Sea Extraordinary Rating Department, where a file was created.

Since this was the first time they had encountered someone with dual supernatural powers acquired after birth, the South China Sea Extraordinary Rating Office relayed the news to the Academy of Supernatural Powers, asking the scholars there to investigate.

Upon receiving the news, the Nanhai Shentong Academy kept its lights on all night.

The federal government is a huge machine that handles a massive amount of work every day, with each department having its own specific responsibilities.

The news of Lu Zhao's dual supernatural abilities is currently only circulating within the Supernatural Academy and the Extraordinary Rating Department, and they will not pass the news up or down.

Because this could be a major discovery, but not an emergency.

Before any results are available, there's no need to jump out and make a big fuss about it, much less to be so foolish as to submit a report to the top leader.

Unless someone asks them directly.
-

September 3rd.

Lu Zhao received a call from the South China Sea Divine Power Academy, inviting him to Cangwu, but he declined due to his official duties.

Subsequently, the other party requested to send an expert team to study Lu Zhao's acquired dual supernatural powers phenomenon, and promised that if it was confirmed that he met the conditions for dual supernatural powers, they would help him apply for suitable supernatural powers.

After thinking for a moment, Lu Zhao agreed.

This won't do him any harm, since all expenses will be reimbursed by the government, and he might even be able to expand his network in academia.

Perhaps it will be useful to find alchemy materials in the future.

The Shintsuin Institute not only studies supernatural powers, but also ancient god circles and monsters. The Shintsuin Institute in the South China Sea should have a lot of resources in the Water Beast Cave.

The second stage of perfection requires the Five Elements Pill, which Lu Zhao is determined to obtain.

He had already witnessed the perfection of the first tier and completed his supernatural abilities, now possessing all the characteristics of mental supernatural powers on his own.

The only thing I don't know how to do is create illusions, which is a technique. My master said that some supernatural powers have fixed techniques and are not considered part of the soul itself.

Lu Zhao tried to learn it, but found it wasn't as simple as the immobilization spell.

The more complex the function of a Taoist technique, the more difficult it is to learn, and the more energy and time it requires.

In my master's words, in ancient times, one could become a master of magic at sixty and reach true skill at eighty. It was very difficult to achieve anything by relying solely on Taoist magic; many people depended on their innate spiritual abilities and Taoist magic of the same element.

It can't be about spitting fireballs today, blowing water tomorrow, and kneading mud the day after.

Lu Zhao thought it made sense, but he learned how to guard against illusions.

At noon, Lu Zhao received a call from Zhao De.

"are you free tonight?"

"what's up?"

"Let's go out for a meal. I need to talk to you about something. Remember to bring your deputy."

"it is good."

After hanging up the phone, Lu Zhao looked puzzled.

Zhao De might want to see him because of the Wei family's affairs, but it's clear that wanting to see Zhang Like as well is not the case.

Because in officialdom, similar actions targeting a specific person are at most verbally communicated, and it's best to keep them tacitly understood.

If someone suffers, those who have a grudge against them will kick them while they're down, and those who have no grudge but benefit from the situation can also be kicked along with them.

Therefore, the fewer people who know about it, the better.

That evening, Lu Zhao took Zhang Like and drove to the city.

Zhang Like, who was driving, couldn't help but ask, "Old Lu, what does Zhao De want with me to have dinner together?"

Lu Zhao shook his head: "I don't know."

"Could it be that they want to talk to you about the state district?" Zhang Like guessed. "Big shots will divide up the interests in the state district. After the Wei family fell, our border garrison corps can be considered the number two power."

Previously, the border station was financially dependent on the city, but now, after being reorganized into the Border Garrison Corps, it has become completely independent.

According to Lu Zhao, the organizational structure may be upgraded further, from battalion level to regiment level.

If this continues, it will truly become a border garrison.

Lu Zhao said, "I don't do anything illegal or criminal; Zhao De should know that."

This is what puzzled him; Zhao De should be clear about his own style of doing things.

Zhang Like joked, "Maybe Mayor Zhao has prepared a honey trap; heroes have always found it hard to resist the charms of a beautiful woman."

We arrived at the state-run hotel at the agreed time.

Under a semi-rationing system, state-owned enterprises meant the highest standards.

As soon as the car stopped at the entrance, two well-dressed waiters came to greet us, as if they had been waiting for us.

"Station Chief Lu, Captain Zhang, and Mayor Zhao are already inside."

"Ah."

Lu Zhao and Zhang Like got out of the car. A waiter helped park the car, while another person led the way.

Passing through the opulent hotel lobby and down the dimly lit corridor bathed in golden and red light, it seemed as if an exchange of power and money was taking place inside each room we passed.

In VIP room number 001, the waiter opened the door, revealing three people inside: three third-tier superhumans.

Zhao De sat in the main seat, and the two third-tier superhumans sitting opposite him did not seem to be superhumans from the Federation.

One of the most obvious features is the landscape of the Indochina Peninsula.

Lu Zhao and Zhang Like entered the room, and Zhao De asked them to sit down next to him and introduced them: "This is Ruan Mingcheng, the person in charge sent by Sanjiang."

Upon hearing this, Ruan Mingcheng, a third-tier transcendent being, stood up and bowed slightly, saying, "Station Chief Lu, hello."

"This is Atipon, the head of the district."

The Siamese man also stood up, bowed slightly, and said, "Station Chief Lu, hello."

His posture was respectful, without the slightest air of a powerful figure.

They were definitely third-tier superhumans, and indeed stronger than Lu Zhao.

But Lu Zhao is the chief official of the Federation and the one who holds real power in Ant Ridge. This position alone is enough to make them bow down.

In the past, even someone like Lü Jinshan, with only a dozen or so points of vitality and a first-tier extraordinary ability, could be on friendly terms with them. They looked down on him, but they couldn't openly retaliate.

In this world, it's all about who can fight the best. But even if you're the best fighter, can you really beat the Federation?
In the human world, 95% of life supplements are produced by the Federation. Cutting off the gray market for life supplements would prevent them from continuing to develop their life force.

Moreover, according to Zhao De, Lu Zhao has far more power and potential than Lü Jinshan, and they have also seen Lu Zhao's name in the newspapers.

Perhaps in a few years, the other person will become someone I need to look up to.

Lu Zhao was slightly taken aback when he saw the two third-tier extraordinary beings bowing and scraping before him.

In that instant, the Federation's authority as the only state apparatus in the human world almost materialized, displaying its godlike power to Lu Zhao.

An invisible hand pressed down on their heads, preventing them from lifting them.

A fist is power, and power can become an even bigger fist.

This massive machine may be rusty, but it still possesses an unshakeable power.

Even third-tier superhumans, unless they are from within the Federation, have to bow down to him.

Life development is the top priority, but that also depends on whether they are one of our own.

(End of this chapter)