MWC – Chapter 164 End

I AM DROPPING THIS NOVEL. IF ANYONE WANTS TO CONTINUE THEY CAN. IF POSSIBLE PLEASE SHARE THE LINK SO I CAN BINGE READ TOO.

Although the office door was closed, the enthusiastic discussions from the campaign office could still be heard.

With the embarrassing final scenes of Cao Ying spreading to thousands of households, the election in the third district could be said to be a foregone conclusion.

Today is the 20th. Outside, the lights were brilliantly lit, marking the deep night, but the voting results of each district in Beiguan were being announced under the supervision of the election committee. All the office clerks were gathered around the TV, sitting by the radio, waiting for the results.

Lu Ming was slowly sipping tea.

Next to him sat Liu Laocai, who was now extremely idle, unexpectedly coming to wait for the election results with Lu Ming in the middle of the night. Previously, he had no interest in these matters and interacted with Congressman Meng Dezhu purely from a business perspective.

There were many people in the office, and those who came to wait for the results with Lu Ming were either very close to him or held certain positions within the party.

However, figures like Wei Baozeng naturally waited for their election results in their own campaign offices.

From the party came Zheng Daguo, Chairman of the Rural Policy Forum Committee of the Beiguan Party Committee, and Ding Deyi, Deputy Chairman of the Political Donation Management Committee.

Accompanying Zheng Daguo was his self-proclaimed close friend, Tian Huiqin, Director of the “Labor and Exchange” Bureau of Beiguan. He was in his early fifties, spoke with a rhythmic hometown accent, and carried an air of authority.

Also present was Li Cangyou, Chairman of the Beiguan Health Committee, an elderly man in his sixties with short white hair, who looked vigorous.

Li Cangyou and Lu Ming had had brief contact before due to the matter involving Xiuxiu.

Lu Ming was somewhat surprised that he could come over to wait for the election results with his small circle.

Both Tian Huiqin, Director of the “Labor and Exchange” Bureau, and Li Cangyou, Chairman of the Health Committee, were heads of Beiguan’s executive institutions.

Nominated by the seven-member committee and voted in by the Beiguan Parliament, these people were the equivalent of top leaders of “departments and bureaus” in a prefecture-level city in Lu Ming’s previous life. For ordinary people, they were significant figures who were rarely seen.

From the perspective of the Beiguan system, they had their own political ecosystem. Typically, during such critical moments of waiting for election results, even if they appeared, it would be alongside potential new seven-member committee members, serving as a form of endorsement, expectation, and declaration of position.

Of course, the risk was that the endorsed congressman might not make it into the seven-member committee, leading to the possibility of being sidelined in the new Beiguan government personnel appointments.

For a new candidate like Lu Ming, who had just entered the political arena, having two heads of executive departments show up was unprecedented.

Naturally, those who watched the TV debate knew that Lu Ming’s election as the third district congressman was already a certainty, so joining the celebration with this young congressman’s team posed no risk of facing the embarrassment of his loss.

At the same time, it served as an expression of support for and goodwill towards a political newcomer.

Aside from these political figures, the office also had Wen Liangyu, the Renault couple, Liu Hanming, and others.

Wang Da’an was also present, knowing he was just there to make up the numbers, but he still had to come, genuinely feeling happy for Qianxing.

Additionally, Zhao Xingwang’s son, Zhao Xue-ren, and Li Xiaoman’s couple also sat in the far corner.

Zhao Xingwang had already stepped down, and now Xingwang Industry was headed by his eldest son, Zhao Xue-ren.

Zhao Xue-ren had asked Liu Laocai for a long time before he reluctantly agreed to bring him and his wife.

After all, Lu Ming still held a 30% stake in Xingwang Industry, although he no longer appeared publicly, having appointed an executive director to handle all affairs related to Xingwang Industry on his behalf.

In the office, there was only a radio, tuned to Kunlun Station, listening to the reports on the vote count.

Tian Huiqin, sitting next to Lu Ming, was smiling and talking to him, reminiscing about the TV debate ten days ago, saying with a laugh, “It felt unfinished, like it ended just as it started. But for creating history, there might always be some regrets. The regret is that it seemed you had a lot more to say, but due to the opponent’s mistakes, those words couldn’t be said.”

He spoke with a rhythmic hometown accent, full of the demeanor of a superior.

Although Lu Ming had not officially won yet, everyone in the room already addressed him as “Congressman Lu.” Lu Ming corrected them a few times to no avail and then let it go, not wanting to appear too pretentious.

Listening to Tian Huiqin’s words, Lu Ming shook his head, saying, “There wasn’t much left to say, and the topics were sensitive. In hindsight, it’s better not to have said them.”

“Oh?” Tian Huiqin laughed, “Congressman Lu, you’ve already started getting into your new role!”

Lu Ming smiled. Indeed, he hadn’t expected Cao Ying to reveal their hand so quickly, probably lacking confidence in debating the subsequent topics.

However, racial segregation was a particularly sensitive issue, and many of his thoughts might not be suitable for public discussion. In politics, it’s essential to unite as many people as possible, especially voters, so saying less was a victory in itself.

He certainly didn’t want future generations to watch the debate video and label him as a notorious racist leader.

Looking at Tian Huiqin, Lu Ming smiled and said, “Director Tian, I actually have a lot to say, such as about your ‘Labor and Exchange’ Bureau. It’s a long-standing name that I think should be changed to something more fitting, like the ‘Labor and Market Management Bureau.'”

Tian Huiqin laughed.

He said something, but it was drowned out by sudden cheers in the office.

Outside, explosive cheers from the campaign office and other rooms grew louder and louder.

The popping sounds were probably champagne being opened in celebration.

Kunlun Station had just announced that the Beiguan Border Committee had officially declared Lu Qianxing, the candidate, received 63.21% of the votes in the third district election.

This basically meant that Lu Ming had won, barring any major reversals like fraud in the coming days.

“Congratulations, Congressman Lu!” Everyone in the office, from bigwigs like Tian Huiqin and Li Cangyou to idle people like Liu Laocai, came forward to hug and shake hands with Lu Ming in congratulations.

Outside, campaign managers and clerks flooded in, disregarding rank and status, cheering and hoping to express their immense excitement with a hug from the boss.

As Lu Ming hugged people one by one, he felt a sharp pinch on his back, unsure who did it. Amid the excitement, he didn’t pay it much mind.

Wen Liangyu didn’t crowd in to join the fun, standing in a corner of the office, watching Lu Ming being surrounded in the center.

Feeling a myriad of emotions, he thought back to when he first met this young lawyer brought in by Liu Laocai. Who could have predicted today?

Moreover, it seemed that no one present realized Qianxing was only nineteen years old!

Talking to him for a few minutes made it easy to forget his true age, even for highly ranked officials in their fifties and sixties, who quickly regarded him as an equal.

That was the most frightening thing.

At nineteen, he was an Eastern Sea District Congressman, making history in the Eastern Sea and even the Empire. Not to mention his astounding achievements in other industries, whether known or unknown.

His future, his limits, where were they?

Wen Liangyu, looking at the young man being lifted high, found his vision blurring, as if he saw a fledgling eagle slowly spreading its wings, flying toward the sky.

…

“Ouch, ouch, ouch, ouch…” Lu Ming gasped.

How could a small scratch hurt this much? Even a child would laugh at him.

Even Bess wasn’t this fragile.

Hanzhu, carefully applying ointment to Lu Ming’s back, was shocked, her beautiful eyes full of distress. “Who did this? So ruthless!”

She never knew what hatred was, nor did she know how to say harsh words to blame others. Her current coquettishness was already her expression of great anger.

Lu Ming lay on the soft big bed, surrounded by a few curious little heads.

Bess, Kuroki Saori, Jin Meiyan, and Xiuxiu.

For some reason, Bess had invited her friends over today, becoming the leader of the kids.

It seemed Bess gathered them to celebrate her uncle becoming a congressman, though she didn’t really understand what a congressman was.

Watching these little heads curiously examining the “injury” on his back, Bess whispered, “Uncle is so pitiful, just like Bess, afraid of pain. Does he cry when getting a shot?”

Lu Ming was exasperated, “Shoo, shoo, shoo, all of you go away!”

Just then, Pamela walked in, and the little ones were terrified, like seeing ghosts invading the village. Led by Bess, they all fled, Kuroki Saori jumping out the window in a panic.

Lu Ming couldn’t help but laugh. This Bess had a troop of little followers now, but she seemed happier, which was good.

Looking at Pamela, he joked, “Look at you. What have you become? In the future, if a child won’t stop crying, saying you are coming will surely scare them into silence.”

Pamela was watching the kids fleeing through doors and windows, angrily saying, “Bess is turning into a wild child!” She paused, “And that one with the tattoo, how did she get here?!”

Upon hearing Lu Ming’s words, she bit her red lip, walked over, kicked off her small crystal slippers, and sat on the other side of Lu Ming.

“This is from a woman with long nails!” Pamela observed the blood mark on Lu Ming’s back.

Hanzhu nodded slightly, “She’s too bad!”

Pamela glanced at Hanzhu but was long numb to her thought patterns.

“What exactly did Bizhu say?” Lu Ming sighed inwardly. Who was this? No matter how happy they were for him, they didn’t need to do this.

Murong Xue? But she didn’t seem to have long nails.

It was probably just an overenthusiastic hug during the celebration. Why did it hurt so much after a nap?

Bizhu seemed to have shown up once, looked at the injury, and then disappeared.

“I didn’t quite understand, but it seemed she said you should be careful not to get hurt before your twentieth birthday, otherwise the pain would be ten times greater…” Pamela looked at the faint blood mark on Lu Ming’s back, smirking, “See if you still attract women now!”

Seeing Lu Ming grimace, Pamela asked curiously, “Does it really hurt that much?”

Noticing the tears of pain in Hanzhu’s beautiful eyes, and her apparent displeasure with Pamela’s words, though she never argued with anyone, Pamela softened, “Alright, I’ll blow on it for you. Hanzhu, you continue applying the ointment…” She glanced at Hanzhu, who then smiled, and Pamela sighed inwardly. Using this silly girl as a reference, she had to be careful not to seem heartless. This home was indeed challenging.

Lying on the soft cloud-like bed, Lu Ming watched the two stunningly beautiful women in the mirror.

One had a delicate face, a touch of red on her white forehead, wearing a light red embroidered coat and skirt, gently wrapping her fragrant skin and jade bones. The soft skirt hem revealed a pair of narrow, small, and cute seductive red shoes, like a fairy descended to the mortal world.

The other was stylish and charming, with slightly curly golden hair cascading like a waterfall. Her large silver earrings made her fair face and deep blue eyes even more alluring. Her white suit highlighted her hot figure, and her long legs were enough to satisfy any man’s fantasies. In less respectful terms, she was a keeper for a lifetime.

Now, they knelt on either side of the bed, tending to his “injury,” one gently blowing to ease the pain, the other carefully applying the ointment. The scene was pleasing to the eye and full of spring warmth.

Squinting at the dreamy scene in the mirror, Lu Ming exhaled softly. Maybe getting a little hurt sometimes wasn’t so bad.

The pain on his back seemed to gradually disappear.