Then let them offer their loyalty!

The reason is simple... According to his plan, he will be leaving the "Northwest Region" in another month and a half.

Even if he repelled the two sanctuary delegations, even if he intimidated the entire "Northwest Region" and made the entire "Northwest Region" truly unite as one, obeying only his orders.

But... won't it still fall apart after he leaves?

Was it really worth it to forcibly build my own system in the past month and a half?

With this question in mind, Qiu Tu put his hands in his pockets and quietly looked at the scenery outside the window for a while.

He didn't come to his senses until his communicator vibrated again.

He picked up the communicator; this time it was Guan Xiao calling.

Qiu Tu answered the phone. As expected, Guan Xiao was reporting on the arrival of the 3rd and 4th shelter delegations.

The information she provided was almost identical to that of Princess Xi. It even lacked crucial information such as the travel routes of the two sanctuary delegations.

At this point, more than 40 minutes had passed since Princess Xi made the phone call.

In some important matters, let alone 40 minutes, even 4 minutes can affect the outcome.

Therefore, Qiu Tu did not give Guan Xiao any face and criticized her harshly without any politeness. He told her that Princess Xi had reported this information 40 minutes earlier and ordered her to set up the intelligence system in the 7th shelter as soon as possible!

Even if it's difficult to establish an intelligence system in the states near the 7th Sanctuary's central hub, we still need to build an intelligence system in the states near the 7th Sanctuary in Dongye.

Perhaps because this was the first time Qiu Tu had lost his temper so much, Guan Xiao on the other end of the phone listened to the criticism with her face turning red and then white, and then made a solemn pledge.

After hanging up the phone, Qiu Tu put the communicator back in his pocket and returned to his bedroom.

In the bedroom, Yu Die was still fast asleep. Her milk-white skin was covered with the marks of battle, which showed how intense the battle had been the night before.

As a speaker with a background in secret operations, Yu Die is still quite vigilant.

Even though she was exhausted last night, her eyelids still trembled slightly when she noticed someone walking around beside her, and then she suddenly woke up with a start.

She visibly breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that the person next to her was Qiu Tu.

She stretched with her arms bare, completely ignoring the glimpse of her exposed chest.

After stretching, Yu Die lazily looked at Qiu Tu and said in a coquettish tone, "Why are you up so early?"

If Qiu Tu had to describe Yu Die with an animal, it would definitely be a cat.

Lazy and cunning.

She clearly noticed Qiu Tu's displeasure, but deliberately didn't ask why. Instead, she tried to lighten the mood by talking about other topics or using other methods.

Sure enough, Qiu Tu listened to Yu Die's coquettishness and looked at her shapely figure and fair skin like mutton fat jade, so he couldn't bring himself to criticize her.

He calmly recounted what had just happened to Yu Die.

Furthermore, it detailed the time lag between Princess Xi and the Security Bureau regarding the same information.

Like Guan Xiao, Yu Die is also in charge of the intelligence system of the 7th Shelter Security Bureau.

So, upon hearing Qiu Tu's words, Yu Die quickly reached out and hugged Qiu Tu, then comforted him, "Okay, okay. We know the intelligence framework wasn't set up properly."

"But you have to give us time too."

"Princess Xi is the highest-ranking official in the 7th Sanctuary. She has elites selected from the royalists and can rely on the 7th Sanctuary's old intelligence system, so naturally the process will be faster."

“We’re starting from scratch. We have to build outposts little by little, establish contact with the authorities, recruit informants, and set up an intelligence network. Of course, it will be slower.”

"and...."

At this point, Yu Die paused, then said slyly, "I don't think you can blame us for this."

Hearing Yu Die's sophistry, Qiu Tu frowned and asked in a deep voice, "Why can't I blame you?"

Yu Die, naked, wrapped her arms around Qiu Tu's neck from behind, her heavy, soft body pressing against his back, her delicate little head resting on his shoulder.

She leaned close to Qiu Tu's ear and said with a grin, "I actually wanted to report this news to you last night."

"But you never give me a chance, you keep interrupting me."

"Otherwise, you might have known last night that the 3rd and 4th shelters would be quietly arriving at the 7th shelter in the next couple of days, and you could have prepared a night in advance."

Qiu Tu paused for a moment, then turned to look at Yu Die behind him.

Seeing the serious expression on Yu Die's face, he pondered for a moment and immediately had a guess in his mind. He asked, "The information that Zhao Pan's son provided to you?"

Yu Die nodded slightly in agreement.

Qiu Tu never expected that the Zhao family had such a close connection with the 3rd and 4th shelters.

So he began, "Tell me then. What information did you obtain last night...?"

......

Time is like a handful of sand; the more you try to grasp it, the faster it slips away.

The morning passed quickly.

At noon, Qiu Tu had lunch with Yu Die, and after telling her to rest for two more days, he went to the Senate of the 7th Shelter to meet with Princess Xi.

During this period, Princess Xi has been reforming the political system of the 7th Sanctuary.

Or it shouldn't be called a reform, but rather an addition.

The Senate remained the highest authority in the Seventh Sanctuary. However, she added the Privy Council as a separate department.

The main purpose of this department was to relay her orders and assist her in handling government affairs—somewhat similar to Huang Shangzong's personal staff.

According to Princess Xi, this was merely a secretariat-like department designed to help her improve the efficiency of government affairs.

However, Qiu Tu, with his keen political sense, immediately saw the problem.

Throughout history, how many so-called "secretariats" have gradually developed into the power centers of a country?

Moreover... instead of stripping the old forces of their "positions," "honors," and "identities," they choose to establish a new system and sideline them... This is one of the most common ways to "seize power."

Therefore, after learning about Princess Xi's recent actions, Qiu Tu had to admit that Princess Xi was indeed a highly skilled politician.

No wonder she was able to fight so fiercely with King Kang and the Kou family in the 6th shelter.

However, as mentioned before, Qiu Tu's main enemies right now are the messenger groups from the 3rd and 4th Sanctuaries.

To some extent, Princess Xi was still his ally.

Therefore, Qiu Tu ignored Princess Xi's little tricks and simply turned a blind eye...

At 2 p.m., after a five-hour journey, the delegations from the 3rd and 4th shelters finally arrived at the central hub of the 7th shelter.

Qiu Tu and Princess Xi, along with many surviving elders, came together to greet them outside the shelter.

Even before the person arrived, a powerful aura could be felt from afar.

That aura was like a peerless murderer standing tall and firm, or an iron army with its power solidified together. Just contact with it was enough to send chills down one's spine.

"Rumble..."

As the envoy group drew closer, the thunderous roar of the army's march and the billowing dust began to reach the ears and eyes of the elders of the 7th Sanctuary...

Soon, just as the eastern sky was dyed a golden-red hue, an army of steel appeared on the vast horizon.

Armored vehicles carrying troops, resembling steel behemoths, slowly approached. The armor on the vehicles gleamed with a cold metallic luster in the sunlight, while female soldiers clad in armor and holding weapons sat expressionlessly inside, like the most dutiful sculptures.

This is the foundation of the Fourth Sanctuary: the Iron Women Army.

Soon, the torrent of steel, accompanied by the tremors of the earth, slowly approached Qiu Tu and the others.

The vehicles were diverted to both sides and then lined up in a row.

Only after the last two armored vehicles came to a stop did several off-road vehicles emerge from behind.

A moment later, the door of the SUV opened, and six people got out of the vehicle one by one.

Of the six people, Qiu Tu recognized two of them: Du Wenzhong, a confidant of Princess Xi, and his adjutant.

The other four...

A middle-aged man dressed in a refined suit, leather shoes, and a monocle, with his hair neatly styled and a somewhat serious expression.

A girl dressed in a black school uniform, with light makeup, looked like a dark elf.

She has a face exactly like Shen Lingshuang's, but instead of Shen Lingshuang's sweet smile, she has only cunning and ambition.

If Shen Lingshuang was a naive and innocent female college student, then that girl was like the self-important yet shrewd student council president in college...

Clearly, they are Shen Yuzhou and his daughter...

As for the others, of course, there's Li Feng and her adjutant.

This was also the first time Qiu Tu had met Li Feng.

Today, Li Feng was wearing a black armor, standing tall and straight. Her short, black hair was thick and neat, her eyebrows were straight, her eyes were cold and sharp, and she wore a confident and flamboyant smile.

She looked like a lawless young lady, or a phoenix rising from the ashes.

This personality trait also extended to her way of doing things.

Unlike Shen Yuzhou, who was composed and steady, Li Feng seemed to be channeling the power of 1700 female warriors into her very being, perhaps to intimidate Qiu Tu or to protect herself.

This propelled her strength directly to the mid-stage of the 7th rank. The aura of that super-ranked expert was as deep and unfathomable as a bottomless abyss, sweeping over her like waves of tides.

The "edge area" can only withstand up to the peak of the sixth rank. So, when faced with such a powerful aura, the space made a "crackling" sound, as if it would collapse in the next second.

Even though he already knew of Li Feng's strength, seeing it with his own eyes and facing it still made Qiu Tu sigh inwardly...

'So strong....'

"So weak." As Qiu Tu sighed inwardly, the girl who looked just like Shen Ling Shuang whispered to Shen Yu Zhou beside him.

Upon hearing the girl's telepathic message, Shen Yuzhou couldn't help but glance at her. Although he didn't speak, his meaning was crystal clear.

The girl glanced at Qiu Tu indifferently and transmitted her voice, "Right now, he's only at the fourth rank."

"Fourth tier?" Shen Yuzhou frowned slightly, his gaze behind his monocle sharp, clearly showing disbelief.

He pondered for two seconds, recalling Qiu Tu's recent achievements, and couldn't help but rebuke him telepathically, "Are you playing me? How could Qiu Tu only be at the fourth rank?"

Upon hearing Shen Yuzhou's words, the girl gave him an arrogant look and transmitted her voice, "Believe it or not, old man."

"However, I cannot rule out the possibility that he possesses a cataclysmic ability or a cataclysmic artifact that suppresses his strength."

Upon hearing this, Shen Yuzhou unconsciously pressed his hand on his jade thumb ring, then glared at the girl with annoyance.

The girl turned her head away, put her hands in her pockets, and ignored Shen Yuzhou.

Qiu Tu was unaware of the private conversation between the father and daughter. He and Princess Xi, bracing Li Feng's pressure, stepped forward and invited, "Commander Li, Speaker Shen, I've long admired your names. Shall we go into the shelter to talk?"

The third sanctuary was a multi-party parliamentary system, while the fourth sanctuary was directly a military government.

"Li Feng" was not only the commander of the "Iron Women's Army," but also the first member of the Supreme Military Council of the shelter, and the head of the military regime and government. She wielded immense power and truly ruled a one-woman show.

That's why Qiu Tu and Princess Xi came out to greet her personally, and that's why they placed her in front of Shen Yuzhou.

Upon hearing their invitation, Li Feng's phoenix eyes fell on Qiu Tu. After curiously looking him up and down, she asked in her somewhat magnetic voice, "You are Qiu Tu?"

Qiu Tu hadn't expected the master of the 4th Shelter to be such an unconventional person. But now that the other party had asked, he certainly couldn't deny it.

So he nodded and replied, "Yes. I am Qiu Tu."

Li Feng was clearly a fiery and impulsive person. Hearing Qiu Tu agree, she lingered for a moment on his face and physique before offering a comment that sounded both sarcastic and complimentary.

"He does have some assets. No wonder so many women would fight and go crazy for him."

Qiu Tu: .....

Compared to Li Feng, Shen Yuzhou was noticeably more normal and approachable. He nodded expressionlessly, "It seems you two are Head of State Lin and Elder Qiu."

"Then I'll trouble you two."

While listening to Shen Yuzhou speak, Qiu Tu's gaze involuntarily fell on another Shen Lingshuang.

Shen Lingshuang was also looking at Qiu Tu with curiosity, her dark eyes sparkling as if she had seen something extremely interesting.

Thus, with Qiu Tu and Princess Xi personally welcoming them, the delegations from the 3rd and 4th shelters were successfully welcomed into the central hub of the 7th shelter.

The "Iron Ladies Army" was led to a pre-arranged base for a temporary rest.

Meanwhile, Li Feng, Shen Yuzhou, Hei-Shen Lingshuang, and Li Feng's adjutant arrived at the Senate with Qiu Tu and Princess Xi.

Upon arriving at the Senate, Qiu Tu and Princess Xi first led the four of them on a tour of the Senate's interior and exterior before finally taking them to the reception room.

After dismissing those around him, only six people from the three factions remained in the reception room.

Princess Xi sat in the head seat, presiding over the entire conversation.