In the name of supernatural powers

Chapter 173 Opportunity to Speak on the Memorial Day of the Great Patriotic War
The news reached Cangwu.

Liu Hanwen breathed a sigh of relief; the weight that had been pressing on his heart for so many years had finally been lifted.

He didn't want to hand over the Dragon-Subduing and Tiger-Taming Divine Power to Buddhism no matter what, partly out of personal motives and partly out of public interest.

On a personal level, Liu Hanwen couldn't allow the family line of his closest friend to be broken. Without the Dragon-Taming Tiger, the Lin family would become just an ordinary aristocratic family.

They might disappear in a few generations.

For the public good, Liu Hanwen absolutely cannot allow the federal government's power to be further dispersed.

Seven years ago, each prefecture had a certain degree of command over the local military region. Five years ago, the command of the special response force was transferred to the city level. Three years ago, the border garrison corps, a military unit that held the purse strings, appeared.

Due to environmental degradation, the federal government has had to decentralize power and increase local flexibility.

However, the Heavenly Gang Divine Power is the one thing that cannot be given away; once it is, it cannot be returned. The reason why sects are so obedient now is because they do not have any powerful individuals who possess the Heavenly Gang Divine Power.

Those who support Buddhism are aware of this. But for their own benefit, many are willing to sacrifice the long-term interests of the Federation.

Like the previous federal chief, he bears half the responsibility for the current chaos in the federal government, and the corruption of federal officials is all due to his indulgence.

Many of the privileged groups in the Federation today grew rapidly during the tenure of the previous Federation Chief Executive.

His only contribution was supporting Wang Shouzhen's rise to power before his death.

The source of corruption in the bureaucracy after a major catastrophe ultimately led to the support of the most just and incorruptible Zhuge Liang to succeed him.

The secretary congratulated him, saying, "You can finally rest assured. At least the Buddhist sect has lost its reason to demand the Dragon-Subduing and Tiger-Taming Divine Power. We can urge the young lady to have children as soon as possible, and that will ensure everything goes smoothly."

Whether Lu Zhao will ultimately inherit the Heavenly Gang Divine Power remains to be seen, but at least there is a clear successor, and Buddhism has lost its legitimate claim.

If Lin Zhiyan and Lu Zhao have offspring, then the successor after that will be confirmed, so there's even less to worry about.

"Hmph! They've only inherited a Heavenly Gang sequence; I haven't approved of their marriage yet."

Liu Hanwen snorted coldly and said, "Marriage is a major event, and it should be arranged by the matchmaker and the parents. That kid didn't even have the proper betrothal gifts."

The secretary said, "But they've already registered their marriage."

Liu Hanwen shouted, "Tomorrow I'll ask the Civil Affairs Department to delete their files."

"..."

Secretary Liu sighed inwardly.

Although the grandfather and grandson are not related by blood, they are closer than blood relatives, sharing the same awkward and timid personality.

Suddenly, footsteps came from outside the door, and then the door was pushed open without even knocking.

Lin Zhiyan swaggered in, carrying a three-layered insulated food container, and said, "Master Liu, I brought you food."

Liu Hanwen initially remained expressionless, but after Lin Zhiyan's persistent coaxing and overtures, he finally gave in and quickly resumed eating his lunch with a smile.

After lunch, Lin Zhiyan said very dutifully, "Uncle Liu, let me massage your shoulders."

Liu Hanwen immediately became alert and said, "You girl, you never get up early for nothing, what are you up to now?"

Lin Zhiyan said, "I would like to ask you for a favor. Every year on the anniversary of the Great Patriotic War, a military representative gives a speech. Could you arrange for Lu Zhao to speak?"

"No."

Liu Hanwen refused without hesitation, saying, "This is a nationwide event. How can we let you use connections?"

Lin Zhiyan argued, "How can you call it taking a back door? Lu Zhao has earned a first-class merit, and it also fits the propaganda line. Think about it, a small border station chief leading a platoon to fight to the death is perfect for propaganda."

"And if we're really talking about backdoor deals, this year's spokesperson is the one who really got in through backdoors. That Li Dongxue, I can't even find any information about her. She's obviously some martial arts master's closed-door disciple, just someone they pushed out to get some prestige."

"Could it be that her contribution is greater than Lu Zhao's?"

Upon hearing this, Liu Hanwen found himself unable to argue with the girl for the time being.

When it comes to mainstream propaganda, Lu Zhao is absolutely the most suitable candidate, both in terms of his background and his deeds.

Three generations of loyal martyrs, born into worker and peasant families, were entrusted with a critical mission to lead troops in a desperate battle.

Without Lai Tung-suet, the outcome of the Tuen Mun battlefield would not have changed, nor would the process have been better or worse.

But if it weren't for Lu Zhao at that time, the consequences in Fangshi would have been unimaginable. If the water beasts had invaded on a large scale with the floodwaters, countless people would have died.

In comparison, Lu Zhao is more suitable than Li Dongxue, and Li Dongxue did indeed get in through connections.

But the candidates have all been decided. Given Tang Zishan's old temper, if his successor is replaced, he might just come knocking on our door.

Seeing that Liu Hanwen remained silent, Lin Zhiyan grabbed his arm and shook it, saying, "Master Liu, please think of a way. We won't use the back door, but we can't let anyone else slip through."

Secretary Liu noticed her boss's predicament and said, "Miss, the candidate was decided half a year ago, and it's impossible to change it now."

"Besides, it's just a statement. As the saying goes, the tallest tree in the forest is the first to be felled by the wind. Lu Zhaojin has just inherited the Horned Dragon Bow, and he will inevitably attract the attention of all sides. It's best to keep a low profile for a while."

"Okay, then there should be some compensation, right?"

Lin Zhiyan, revealing his true intentions, asked, "I think the title of First-Class Outstanding Youth Representative is quite good. Mr. Liu, why don't you give one to Lu Zhao?"

She hadn't held out much hope to begin with, as these kinds of spots are usually decided long ago and can't be changed at the last minute.

Rather than an empty title, we'd rather have some real awards.

The Nankaido Outstanding Young Person Award is a highly prestigious award, offering not only generous rewards but also opportunities for career advancement.

The Outstanding Youth Representative is the top choice among them, which is in some ways no less than a first-class merit.

Liu Hanwen laughed in exasperation and said, "You little brat, you're like spilled water, always turning your back on us."

Lin Zhiyan would come to Lu Zhao every few days asking for favors, and although these were all reasonable requests and generally in accordance with regulations, he wanted to get Lu Zhao any benefit he could obtain.

But Liu Hanwen was still unhappy, feeling like his close-fitting little cotton-padded jacket was starting to let in the wind.

Lin Zhiyan retorted, "Look at what you're saying. Lu Zhao is so outstanding, it's normal for him to get first place."

Liu Hanwen said, "Alright, if he can get the title of Outstanding Youth of Nankaido based on his own ability, I will give him first place. If he can't get it, there can be no back door."

"You said it yourself, you can't go back on your word."

"Remember, you can't use back channels."

"I will absolutely not leave."

------------

Meanwhile, on the other side, the General Administration of Finance, Taxation and Household Registration.

In Chen Wuhou's office, people would also enter without knocking.

At this moment, Chen Yunming was privately discussing the issue of state districts with his secretary, specifically the resettlement of workers in pilot areas under the new economic reforms.

Privately, they would naturally resort to underhanded tactics to obstruct the advancement and implementation of policies.

On the surface, all the necessary work must be done.

Chen Yunming had plenty of work to handle on a daily basis, so he naturally didn't have the time to get involved in the Dragon-Subduing and Tiger-Taming Mystery. There were so many things in the world; if he had to get involved in everything, even a martial arts master like Zhuge Liang would be exhausted.

Suddenly the door opened, and a heavily made-up woman rushed in, saying, "Dad!"

Chen Yunming stopped his discussion with his secretary and asked calmly, "What happened?"

Chen Qian cried out, "I heard that Lu Zhao married that bitch surnamed Lin, is it true?"

"It's true, the Liu faction has decided to make Lu Zhao their successor in subduing dragons and tigers..."

Chen Yunming paused for a moment, then, considering that his daughter probably wouldn't understand the complexities involved, he very considerately changed the content.

"The Lin family's main branch only has one daughter left. The Lin family needs a capable son-in-law without a background, and Lu Zhao fits their requirements perfectly."

"It can't be Lu Zhao. Why Lu Zhao? There are so many people in the world, why was Lu Zhao chosen?"

Chen Qian was somewhat incoherent. She was already angry when she saw Lu Zhao in the newspaper, but hearing that he was marrying Lin Zhiyan completely broke her.

She felt as if something of hers had been stolen.

Although Chen Qian had forgotten Lu Zhao a year ago, it didn't stop her from still having a morbid possessiveness, especially seeing that Lu Zhao was still in his prime.

"Dad, help me get him back. I really want him."

Chen Qian is like a spoiled giant baby.

The secretary had already quietly left the office and was waiting at the door.

Chen Wuhou patiently comforted his daughter until she calmed down, then said, "Lu Zhao is now a federal official, not someone you can toy with at will. You can do whatever you want on a daily basis, but you can't implicate federal officials, not even the lowest-ranking clerk."

"Besides that, I can give you whatever you want. There are plenty of good-looking people in the world, we don't need another one like him."

"I'll give you money, I'll give you people, and I'll find you the best-looking celebrities in the entire Federation."

After being calmed down, Chen Qian left the office with the five million given to her by Chen Wuhou.

The secretary returned to the office and said, "Aren't you going to teach Miss a lesson? If this continues, something bad will happen sooner or later."

Chen Yunming shook his head and said, "With me here, nothing serious will happen. She can just enjoy her life."

His wife died young, and he was too busy with his career to take care of his children. To compensate Chen Qian, he could only give her money, more money than he could ever spend.

Later, without realizing it, her daughter went astray, and Chen Yunming didn't have time to care. Finally, when she was in junior high school, trouble struck. Chen Qian was arrested for causing the death of a classmate through "negligent" act.

At that time, Chen Yunming was not yet a Marquis of Wu, but he was only one step away from becoming one.

To suppress the matter, he sought help from his former superior, incurring a considerable favor. From then on, Chen Yunming's stagnant career began to rise, and he continuously received support from his former superior.

The more trouble his daughter caused, the more the senior leaders in his faction valued him.

After becoming a military commander, Chen Yunming had long since reached the same level as his former superior, and now he was even subtly surpassing him.

But he still indulged his daughter, because he believed that his daughter was born to enjoy happiness.

Chen Qian's life development is very low; she will definitely die before me.

Lin Zhiyan is the apple of her eye, and so is Chen Qian.

The secretary said, "We just received news that Lu Zhao seems to have successfully accepted the Horned Dragon Bow."

Chen Yunming nodded in response, "I understand."

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The capital city, the administrative offices.

Wang Shouzhen handled government affairs meticulously, with mountains of documents piling up every day, as well as various problems left over from the previous administration.

He was the patcher of this crumbling power machine, solving new problems while cleaning up old grime.

The transfer of command of special operations forces to the municipal level is to provide a justification for delegating life-saving resources to the grassroots level.

The Border Garrison Corps was established to address the rampant corruption problem, avoid layers of exploitation, and improve local finances.

There are also new economic policies aimed at breaking the backbone of privileged groups entrenched in the supply system.

The long-standing wartime supply system has severely hampered the national economy and is essentially exploiting the people of the Union.

Wang Shou-cheng has only been in office for a year, while the previous federal chief served for a full seven years.

He faces many enemies and has even more problems to solve.

When I came across the document, I came across the approval document for the Great Patriotic War Memorial Day activities. It was a five-centimeter-thick document, which I quickly scanned with my mental focus.

Two aspects caught his attention.

One of them is the inheritor of the Five Thunder Divine Power, and she spoke as a representative.

On the other hand, there was a group of first and second-tier superhumans from border cities. The highest-ranking among them was a chief clerk, yet they occupied sixty or seventy guest seats, and each of them had a first-class merit.

He asked his secretary, "This is the city that was attacked by the water monsters before. What's the story behind these invited comrades?"

The secretary immediately went out to check and returned about ten minutes later, replying, "Chief, they are all soldiers responsible for guarding the border outposts. They held the line at the most critical moment, buying precious time for the people to evacuate."

"Among them, Lu Zhao, the chief officer of the Fangshi Mayiling Border Station, was ordered to lead a reinforced platoon to defend the outpost in a time of crisis. He carried a bomb and killed a third-level demon beast. In the end, he was the only one left alive in the entire platoon."

"In recognition of their achievements, they were specially invited as distinguished guests."

Upon hearing this, Wang Shouzhen pondered for a moment and instructed, "Let Lu Zhao represent the military in this national defense war."

The secretary reminded him, "Chief, the original choice was General Tang's disciple."

Wang Shouzhen said, "Call him and tell him that we need a more representative soldier, a soldier with a spirit of sacrifice."

Over the years, the military has been corrupted to some extent, and these soldiers from grassroots units are excellent propaganda material.

"Yes."

The secretary continued, "Chief, we just received news that someone from the Lin family of the South China Sea has begun to inherit the powerful supernatural abilities of the Dragon-Subduing and Tiger-Taming Sequence. It's this Lu Zhao."

"At the same time, it seems that he has already married the only daughter of the Lin family."

Wang Shouzheng looked surprised and asked, "How can he work at the grassroots level of the border defense with such connections?"

The secretary briefly recounted what he knew.

It seems that he offended a powerful figure, which resulted in an outstanding graduate of a prestigious university in the capital working at the grassroots level for four years. As for the specific details of the whole incident, further investigation is needed.

Such trivial matters are unlikely to be sent to the government offices.

Wang Shouzhen roughly understood what had happened.

He sighed, "The task is arduous and the road ahead is long."

Similar incidents occur daily in the federal government, and a systemic approach is needed to curb this phenomenon.

(End of this chapter)