Chapter 1 The Mud Workers' Association Meeting

Around 8:10 in the morning, members of the Mud Workers' Association, all holding their credentials, began to enter the Taida Conference Center.

On both sides of the street outside the conference center, the Longkou District Police Department and the Dragon City Anti-Terrorism Team dispatched a total of forty to fifty vehicles and hundreds of police officers to monitor the surrounding area.

At the same time, near the Dragon City Military Defense Hall, less than three kilometers from the conference center, rows of military vehicles were parked. They were troops transferred from the garrison command to inspect the city's defense system.

Today's scene was very similar to the grand occasion of the autonomous states of the First District electing governors before the Era of Great Change. It was absurd in every way, yet reasonable in every way.

Freedom! Then you must give the association full respect. Looking at it this way, today's scene is reasonable. But the government departments dispatched so many people to maintain order for a local association, which also seemed very ironic and absurd, so... this scene was somewhat contradictory.

...

Backyard of the conference center.

Seven or eight military vehicles were parked, and Zhang Ming led his people down.

"Those in plainclothes will go in with you," a company commander of Tan Hengqiang's guard regiment said softly to Zhang Ming. "Don't be nervous, our people are waiting at the back door."

"Okay!" Zhang Ming nodded.

After the two finished communicating, fifteen soldiers in plainclothes followed Zhang Ming and other senior executives through a special passage into the venue.

A few minutes later, Zhang Ming stood behind the rostrum backstage, glanced at his watch, and wiped the sweat from his forehead nervously.

At the same time.

Inside the Municipal Building, Li Mingsheng held the phone in his right hand and put his left hand on his hip, roaring, "Don't give me that useless crap! If the situation really gets out of control and Tan Hengqiang plays dirty, then you must have an absolute attitude of supporting me. You can't just try to smooth things over!"

"I know...!"

"Once there are signs of the situation getting out of control, you must call Tan Hengqiang directly. Can you do that?" Old Li pressed.

Ouyang Zhen thought for a long time, "We'll decide based on the situation. Don't be impatient..."

...

Morning, 8:25.

Inside the Taida Conference Center, the host of the Mud Workers' Association took the stage with a microphone and said with a serious expression, "Everyone, please be quiet. The meeting will begin soon. Now, let us welcome our current president, Mr. Zhang Ming, to the stage to speak!"

"Clap clap clap!"

The venue, which could accommodate three thousand people, immediately erupted in applause. The room was spacious and crowded, and even if only two hundred people took the lead in cheering and applauding, it was still a considerable momentum.

After the venue quieted down, Zhang Ming walked from backstage to the front, waving to the crowd with a smile on his face.

At this moment, on the rostrum of the venue, there was a transparent rectangular box, one and a half meters high and one meter in diameter. This was the ballot box for the public vote. The paper votes of everyone present would be placed here by themselves.

There were twenty seats on the rostrum, which were for the members of the Council of Elders, and the first row below the stage was for the presidents of the sixteen districts of the Mud Workers' Association. Behind them were the seats for ordinary members.

Zhang Ming strode to the rostrum, stood behind the microphone, and said calmly, "Actually, I don't really want to go on stage to speak, because no president can be broad-minded enough to read his lines endlessly at his own impeachment meeting."

"Haha!"

Laughter erupted from the audience.

"Well, I have nothing to say. Things have come to this point. Some people think I've done a good job, and some people think I've let the Mud Workers' Association down. Since the controversy is objectively present, then let the voting results speak." Zhang Ming behaved very generously, "If I step down today, then I wish the Mud Workers' Association all the best, and I also wish the candidate who can be long-term friends with the person who killed his own master a long life! You're awesome, you're amazing, you have a high level of awareness!"

Zhang Ming's last sentence was clearly directed at Wei Xiangzuo in the audience, and everyone knew what he meant, so some people laughed knowingly.

Wei Xiangzuo sat in the audience, watching Zhang Ming coldly, without saying a word.

"Okay, that's it, I'm stepping down, let's hurry up and get started!" Zhang Ming waved his hand and walked down the stairs on the side of the rostrum, taking a seat in the center of the first row.

After a brief speech, the host took the stage again, "Let me talk about the rules of this public vote! When the meeting starts, our staff will distribute anonymous ballots to everyone, with two options on them: The first is whether or not to agree to remove President Zhang Ming. If you agree, mark a check mark; if you disagree, mark an x. The second item is the new president election vote. Simply put, whoever you support, write their name in the vote column. The candidates are the sixteen district presidents. If there is no one you support among these people, then don't fill it in; it will be counted as an abstention. According to the internal election rules of the Mud Workers' Association, more than half of the votes are required to remove the president. Whichever candidate has the highest number of votes and exceeds one-third of the total votes will be elected as the new president."

"Clap clap!"

Sparse applause rang out in the audience.

The host turned to look at the members of the Council of Elders, and after receiving their approval, he immediately shouted, "Now, please have the staff distribute the ballots. After everyone fills them out, they must line up at the stairwells on the left and right sides and vote openly and fairly into the ballot box! Throughout the voting process, the ballot box must not leave public view. After everyone has voted, the Council of Elders will publicly count the votes!"

As soon as he finished speaking, dozens of staff members carried trays with ballots from behind the scenes to the center of the venue.

Zhang Ming sat in the middle of the first row, turned to look at Wei Xiangzuo, and shouted, "Are you confident?"

Wei Xiangzuo ignored him, only whispering to the person next to him.

At the same time, in the projection room on the second floor, Guo Zhengdao called over three men and took out two sniper rifles from two large black boxes.

"Wait a minute, set up the guns from the projection openings!" Guo Zhengdao whispered, "Wait for my order!"

"Understood!"

The three nodded.

...

Outside the venue.

Tan Mingchao sat in a military vehicle, eating a sandwich and drinking milk, and said, "Is there any movement from the Police Department?"

"Not yet," the officer in the passenger seat replied softly, "But I heard that Old Li went to the office early in the morning and hasn't come out of the meeting room since."

"He must be watching the live broadcast too," Tan Mingchao said faintly.

"Hey, Chief, I heard that An Zecheng has also returned to the army today. What do you think he...!"

"Old An left Dragon City to actively avoid trouble." Tan Mingchao said lightly, "He doesn't want to get involved in these messes at all, so he ran away in advance."

"Hehe, Old An can still see the situation clearly."

"He's old, he doesn't have any energy left, only the so-called political wisdom!" Tan Mingchao lightly commented, "Let's wait for the results."