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In the crowd across from them, there was a man around forty years old, with an oval face, two sword-like eyebrows, and eyes that darted around like a fox. Beside him stood a young man in his twenties who bore a striking resemblance to him. Behind these two men were thirty to forty guards.
At this moment, Zhang Yuru pointed at the man across from her and questioned, "Chu Yingrui, what do you mean by bringing so many people here?"
The middle-aged man smiled slightly. "Miss, I mean no harm. I just heard that Leader was severely injured in the last attack, and the doctor said that Big Leader's time is short. Our large organization has thousands of brothers who cannot be without leadership. So I came here today to see if there are any other arrangements within the organization and to take a look at the new Leader. Is that too much to ask?"
"Then why did you replace all the guards with your own people?" Zhang Yuru replied coldly.
"As the Leader of the branch, I have to ensure the safety of the headquarters. Your guards are not capable enough; I'm afraid they won't be able to protect the Leader when Severe Winter comes."
"You need not worry about that; our guards will fulfill their duty to protect the headquarters. Since you still care for the Leader, please go rest in a guest room. In a couple of days, when my father wakes up, he will naturally take charge of everything," Zhang Yuru issued an eviction order.
Chu Yingrui sneered, "Then I'll wait for good news from Big Leader. Let's go." It was not the right time for Chu Yingrui to fall out with Zhang Yuru because he knew that soon other Branch Leaders would arrive. If he angered everyone with his actions, he would be the one in trouble.
After Chu Yingrui left with his men, Zhang Yuru returned to her room, feeling very troubled. She feared that her grandfather's legacy would be destroyed by her own hands.
As expected, within two days, three more Leaders arrived at Headquarters. Three days later, with the help of two strong men carrying a stretcher, Zhang Diba finally "struggled" out from the basement. Liu Guanfeng used half of a Disguise Pill to make Zhang Diba appear as if he were gravely ill; now Zhang Diba had completely lost his former vigor. His face was waxy yellow and had become much thinner. His entire body was wrapped in blood-soaked bandages.
Zhang Diba called everyone into his bedroom for a "final" candidate selection meeting. There were four Leaders and one child of theirs present, along with Zhang Yuru, Elder Yu, Ma Xianglong, Liu Guanfeng—totaling thirteen people. Liu Guanfeng's presence at the meeting was justified as he was now Zhang Diba's personal doctor and needed to be by his side at all times to monitor his condition.
When everyone learned that Liu Guanfeng was the young doctor who had borrowed an extra month from death for Big Leader Zhang Diba, they all expressed their gratitude. Whether it was sincere or not was something Liu Guanfeng did not concern himself with.
After some pleasantries were exchanged, Zhang Diba lightly coughed twice, and the room fell silent. Lying on the bed, he could only turn slightly with Liu Guanfeng's assistance to lean against the headboard. Although it was just a simple movement, everyone in the room could see how weak Zhang Diba had become; he was clearly nearing death.
Zhang Diba first looked around the room and said with some effort, "The purpose of gathering everyone here today is singular: to select a new Leader to better guide us in continuing our resistance against the harsh rule of the Severe Winter. Does anyone have any opinions?"
As soon as Zhang Diba finished speaking, a burly middle-aged man over two meters tall stood up and said, "Big Leader, the four of us have been following Old Leader since his time. We can say that our gang has invested all our emotions into this. Each of us has received kindness from both Old Leader and you. As for selecting a Leader, it would be best for Young Lady to take over directly; there's no need to trouble ourselves with choosing someone."
After the big man sat back down, Chu Yingrui, who had arrived first, pouted but did not say anything. However, Zhang Diba noticed this and asked, "Chu Leader, do you have any good suggestions?"
Chu Yingrui stood up, bowed to Zhang Diba, and said, "Big Leader, we are all veterans here. In terms of experience, we might even have more than you. I must say something that may sound disrespectful. I do not quite agree with what Room Leader just said. First, although Young Lady is a descendant of the Leader, she is still a girl and may find it difficult to be as decisive as a man in tough situations. Second, Young Lady's martial skills are not particularly outstanding; her abilities are average and may not command respect. Third, if one day Young Lady gets married, her husband will likely take charge of our new world. If Young Lady marries a talented person, we old Little Guys can accept that. But if her husband... hmm!" Chu Yingrui did not finish his sentence but merely snorted lightly before sitting back down.
"I say, what do you mean by that, Chu? Who says Young Lady can't be the Leader? What's wrong with being a girl? What's wrong with having average skills? Don't forget who pulled you back from the seaside; without Old Leader, you wouldn't be where you are today," interjected the first speaker from earlier, a leader named Fang.
"I'm just speaking the truth; I'm addressing the issue rather than the person. Why are you so sensitive? This is also what Big Leader thinks," Chu Yingrui replied while turning his head away and ignoring Fang.
Zhang Diba gently waved his hand at Fang to indicate he should sit down first. After coughing twice, Zhang Diba addressed the Four Leaders: "I think what Chu Leader just said makes sense." Upon hearing Zhang Diba's praise, Chu Yingrui turned his head back and shot a challenging glance at Room Leader.
"That's why I called everyone together. I also believe it's not appropriate to directly pass my position to Xiaoru. How about we hold a Competition for leadership?"
"A Competition? How will that work?" asked one of the leaders with a round face.
"I've already thought about the candidates for the Competition. Each of you four should select one descendant to participate. Plus Xiaoru—if I don't let her join, she won't be happy either. Then we will select three members from our gang who are under thirty years old with no restrictions on strength but must show outstanding loyalty to the gang. They will also participate in the Competition for leadership. This way, it shows that our gang belongs to everyone and that everyone is equal. As for selecting these three individuals, I'll leave that to Xiang Long; does everyone have any objections?"
"I have no objections," Chu Yingrui was the first to respond positively.
"I have no objections either."
"No objections."
"Since no one has any objections, we will set our Competition for three weeks from now. Whoever ultimately takes the top spot will inherit my position. You all need to assist the new Leader just as you have supported me. Can you do that?"
"Yes," "Absolutely," "No problem," "Alright," the four Leaders nodded in agreement.
At this moment, Liu Guanfeng interjected, "Big Leader, you should rest. It is not good for your health to overexert yourself."
"My health is already like this anyway; let me talk with everyone a bit more," Zhang Diba replied, looking at Liu Guanfeng. Liu Guanfeng remained silent, glanced at the other Leaders present, and gently shook his head at Zhang Diba.
Seeing Liu Guanfeng's gesture, Chu Yingrui was the first to stand up. "Big Leader, since the doctor has advised you to rest, I think it would be best for you to take some time off. We still have many important matters waiting for your attention. I will take my leave now." After bowing to Zhang Diba, he turned and left with his son.
After Chu Yingrui left, the other three Leaders also took their leave to prepare for the Competition. Ma Xianglong, who needed to select candidates, also excused himself. The room was left with only Zhang Diba, Zhang Yuru, Elder Yu, and Liu Guanfeng.
Zhang Diba looked weakly at Zhang Yuru and asked, "Xiaoru, do you have confidence in securing the top spot?"
Seeing her father's frail expression, Zhang Yuru shook her head helplessly. "Father, I have no confidence in winning. It's all my fault for not practicing martial arts diligently." As she spoke, she threw herself onto Zhang Diba and began to cry uncontrollably.
As for not telling Zhang Yuru about Zhang Diba's health condition, it was Liu Guanfeng's request. He feared that Zhang Yuru's lack of life experience might lead her to inadvertently reveal something through her daily life or words. If that happened, Liu Guanfeng's plan would be completely ruined.
Zhang Diba gently stroked Zhang Yuru's head. "Xiaoru, don't cry. As long as you put in the effort, I believe you won't disappoint me."
Zhang Yuru lifted her head, wiped her tears, and nodded at Zhang Diba. "Father, don't worry; I will practice hard over these three weeks."
"Xiaoru, I've found you a teacher. If you're willing to study seriously with him, I guarantee you'll secure the top spot in three weeks."
Upon hearing her father's words, Zhang Yuru tilted her head to look at Elder Yu beside her. At that moment, Elder Yu quickly waved his hands at Zhang Yuru. "Xiaoru, don't look at me; this old body of mine doesn't have that kind of ability."
Zhang Yuru turned her head in confusion and looked at Zhang Diba. "Father, who else could the master you found for me be if not Elder Yu? He should be the strongest in our guild, right?"
Zhang Diba gently shook his head. "Before you returned, Elder Yu was indeed the strongest in our guild, but now that you are back, the strongest person is no longer Elder Yu."
"Who could it be if it's not Elder Yu? Does it have anything to do with my return?"
"Of course it does. This person is someone you brought back."
Hearing this, Zhang Yuru immediately thought of who it might be. She turned to Liu Guanfeng, who had been silent beside her, and pointed at him. "Father, you can't be talking about this person, right?"
Zhang Diba nodded and said, "Who else could it be?"
"That's not right, Father. He said he has a Five Elements Balance attribute and can't practice martial arts!"
Liu Guanfeng also nodded and said, "My Five Elements Balance attribute is fine, but I can indeed practice martial arts. I initially concealed this from you, Miss, and I hope you won't hold it against me."
"Liu Brother came here this time to bring me news about your grandfather. As for concealing my ability to practice martial arts, it was all for safety's sake; I was afraid there might be some misunderstandings. Xiaoru, I entrusted you to Liu Brother. I hope you can practice the martial arts he teaches you well over these three weeks. When the time comes, show those people that my daughter Zhang Diba will not be inferior to any of those boys."
Zhang Yuru assured Zhang Diba, "Father, don't worry. I will definitely listen to him. As long as he truly has the skills, I will learn well. I won't let you down."
Standing aside, Liu Guanfeng smiled at Zhang Yuru. Everything was indeed arranged by him, and it was also his initiative to take on the task of teaching her martial arts. Although teaching martial arts seemed very challenging, for Liu Guanfeng, teaching such a beautiful girl was truly a delightful task.
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