158: 158.
Private Military Company 158: 158.
Private Military Company Dawn’s first light lifted the night’s gossamer veil, revealing a brilliant morning glow.
Lu Li felt an itch in his neck and brushed away a few strands of long hair.
Yang Ma was sleeping next to him, her face etched with fatigue, and even in her sleep, her arms were tightly crossed over her chest.
Psychologically, it is believed that people who sleep this way lack a sense of security.
Considering the kind of mother she had, it was to be expected.
Two hours earlier, around 4:00 AM, the sound of intense discussions had emanated from the room next door.
It seemed that the competitor ranked second had declared that if elected, he would reduce the value-added tax from 15% to 8% and double the pension.
As a result, his approval rating had surged, already surpassing 30%.
In contrast, Lady Maria’s platform of fighting crime and corruption were old hat— the public had long since lost interest.
With the tide turning, the situation was becoming urgent.
Lu Li felt no sense of belonging to this land and didn’t care much about these matters.
For the moment, he just lay still and quietly let the girl beside him sleep a bit longer.
But sleep is always light for those who feel insecure, and Teresa woke up soon after.
“Good morning.”
She rubbed her eyes and fixed her gaze on Lu Li, “You must be satisfied this time.”
“It’s better, much better,” Lu Li nodded.
“You used to give off the vibe of…
being in business reluctantly.
As it turns out, being more at ease is more comfortable.”
Teresa gave him a side glance and said,
“So, are we familiar with each other now?
It’s hard to believe that after taking my virginity, you could say something like ‘we are not close’.”
This was definitely something Jessica had told in secret.
Lu Li smiled and said,
“Nice to meet you, Miss Canary.”
“Nice to meet you too, Mr.
Eagle.”
Teresa gave him a light look as fierce arguments sounded from next door again:
“Lady Maria, your policies are too radical, they should be proposed gradually after the election…”
Worried about her mother, Teresa hurriedly got dressed.
The upper body was fine, but she grimaced as she put on her stockings, revealing a pained expression, and finally managed to stand up with the support of the bed.
“Are you okay?” Lu Li asked.
Teresa held her abdomen and frowned,
“I regret letting you take me from behind…
I probably won’t be able to visit the Governor in this condition.”
~~~~~~~~~
After all, being a young and beautiful Yang Ma, her body had a strong tolerance.
After taking a brief breath, she regained her mobility and left, limping.
No sooner had she walked out than seven Flying Swords impatiently emerged from under the bed.
They swam around Lu Li like goldfish, sending a wave of “hunger” through their spirits.
“Seven more mouths all at once…”
Lu Li first lit two sticks of Calming Incense before he drew out seventy percent of his spirit, channeling it into the seven Flying Swords.
They were crafted from the flow of millions of positive Wish Power, imbued with ample spirituality and a strong foundation.
Not to mention the seventy percent of their owner’s spirit, they could even take seventy times that—currently unsatiated, they kept clamoring for more.
But with many tasks still to complete, he couldn’t feed them any more.
Protecting Lady Maria, charging the Puppet, refining the Kunlun Mirror, practicing Sword Control…
All required the use of spirit.
“It’s really a turn of the wheel of fortune.”
Lu Li couldn’t help but marvel; ever since he began using Calming Incense as mosquito repellent, he had no shortage of spirit.
But as his realm improved, Calming Incense was starting to be insufficient.
“I need to find a high-grade substitute for Calming Incense.”
While pondering this, Lu Li did not resort to magic to change his clothes and dressed himself manually.
He then grabbed a travel backpack and placed the seven half-meter long Flying Swords into it.
Leaving the zipper open, they were content to stay put.
Just as he finished packing, Teresa knocked on the door and called out,
“Lu Li, my mother is about to give a street speech.”
“Okay,”
Lu Li responded, feeling a bit puzzled.
Wasn’t the plan to first visit the Governor and the party allies?
Paying respects to the dock before getting down to business is a universally accepted rule throughout history and across cultures.
But with enough strength, sometimes it’s unnecessary to strictly follow the rules.
Having seen off the stern-faced election team, Lady Maria started to listen to Aurora’s report.
“All 400 armed militants belonging to the Benjamin Group were killed, and the cause of death has yet to be determined.
But there’s no doubt that Lu Li has an extremely elite special forces team under his control.”
Aurora paused for a moment before continuing,
“After the incident, the Gulf Group took the opportunity to attack the Benjamin Group, vying for control of the state, and riots broke out in multiple cities.”
Lady Maria didn’t care about anything else but was only concerned with one thing:
“Even the drug lord’s army couldn’t bother me, so with this said…
I can go all out!”
She stood up resolutely, declaring in an undeniable tone,
“Get ready, I’m going to give a street speech.
Upload the content of my speech to the internet in real time!”
~~~~~~~~~~
When Lu Li came over, he saw the campaign advisors and executive assistants encircling the lady, trying to persuade her:
“It’s impolite to commence campaign activities without first contacting our party allies.”
“What is the content of the speech?
You only have a slight lead in support; it’s best not to make rash moves.”
…
Lady Maria laughed softly, “I know what I’m doing.
Lu Li, let’s go.”
Seeing that Lu Li had arrived, the two suit-clad men exchanged glances and reluctantly cleared the way.
Afterward, they arrived at the most bustling pedestrian street in the city center, where they set up a simple speaking venue.
The lady stood in the middle with a microphone in hand, while Lu Li stood beside her with an open backpack on his back.
Many passersby recognized the lady and flocked around her.
The speech started, and Lu Li thought it would be the same old talk about striking against crime and fighting corruption.
But unexpectedly, the lady shouted publicly:
“We are not the Star Alliance Country’s ‘pinatas’!
We are not servants of the Star Alliance Country!”
A “pinata” is a colorful pottery piece, filled with candies during festivals for children to break open with a stick for celebration.
But when used in the context of international relations, the intention was clear.
The lady continued to shout:
“80% of the guns that kill Moxico people come from the Star Alliance Country!
The Star Alliance Country has also secretly supported various drug trafficking groups, set up illegal biological laboratories, and used our people for biochemical experiments…”
Hearing a politician dare to criticize the Star Alliance Country, the crowd was initially stunned, then responded with enthusiastic applause and cheers!
The members of the election team were all stunned, especially the campaign advisors, wearing expressions of disbelief:
“What is she doing!
She’s mad!”
Lu Li didn’t expect the lady to have such vehement political views.
In this region, openly expressing animosity towards the Star Alliance Country was dangerous.
You’d either be blackmailed into stepping down or found to have committed suicide with seven or eight bullet wounds.
But the public loved to hear this!
At that moment, the surging crowd blocked the road.
People were chanting Maria’s name, driving her approval ratings through the roof.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
For a politician, high approval ratings are obviously beneficial, but not everyone saw it that way.
As soon as they returned to the hotel, the campaign advisor said with an ashen face:
“You’re a madwoman!
I’m out!”
He tore off his badge and growled:
“You might dodge assassination by the drug lord with a group of freaks, but how will you deal with the Foreign Affairs Bureau!
What good is high approval if you can’t handle that?”
This man, who didn’t flee even after surviving an attack by the drug lord, now turned and left without hesitation.
The executive assistant also stepped forward, not resigning but bringing a string of bad news:
“The Governor has canceled the dinner with you…
Several party elders have just subtly expressed their displeasure.”
Lady Maria didn’t care at all; these things weren’t important.
Her campaign had always been missing only one piece of the puzzle!
She said to Lu Li in a warm voice:
“Things will get more turbulent from here.
Please do your utmost to ensure our safety.
As a token of my gratitude, once elected, I will award you a PMC (Private Military Company) license.”
Hearing this, Lu Li’s expression shifted.
A private military company, in plain terms, implies mercenaries.
But with the endorsement of a national government, it becomes a legitimate “military contractor”, a legal private armed force!
With this status, Lu Li could openly contact “Northern Industry” and purchase those “big treasures”.