Miss Wang Weina, even your cousin won't do!

After a symbolic three-second wait, the head referee looked at Chianti with a mocking expression and announced:

"Now, let's begin the vote. Press the button next to you. Green means you trust Representative Chianti, and red means you do not trust Representative Chianti. Please vote."

Half a minute passed, the chief referee turned his head, glanced at the clear score comparison on the screen, shrugged, looked at Senator Chianti who seemed to have collapsed and was leaning on the railing of the debate platform, and shook his head regretfully.

"The result seems obvious."

“Your explanation is rather weak and has not swayed enough members of parliament to vote for you. I’m sorry, Chianti.”

"Therefore, I hereby formally announce the immediate removal of Representative Chianti from the position of Silicon Valley State Representative. The new State Representative will be selected from among the permanent members of the legislature at a later date."

Chianti's eyes were fixed on the large screen, showing no reaction to the referee's verdict. The score on the screen was 349:0, and with 350 members in the Federal Assembly, that meant one person hadn't voted!

Vote for me! Vote for me, and I'll tell you my biggest secret. With this secret, you might just make a fortune!

After all, aside from me, who is constantly monitoring the entire Silicon Valley, who would know that His Highness the Prince of Wales has already met with and connected with Loken Williams?

The political establishment is full of unreliable old fogies. With this information, you can switch sides to the military. These "old men" stuck on Capitol Hill and in Washington state may not know, but I know very well that the military has been eyeing the Loken Water Tank and that mass-produced warlock experimental system for a long time. They just haven't found an opportunity to control the Loken Water Tank. And this is the leverage, the leverage that allows the military to blackmail Loken Williams.

With the military's protection, you certainly won't end up like me!

So, let's vote.

Representative Chianti waited, but the last button remained unpressed. The questioning continued until the presiding judge officially announced its conclusion.

Senator Chianti, dissatisfied, raised the microphone and shouted:

"It's not over yet, isn't there still one person who hasn't voted?"

A brief silence fell over the parliament, then, as if they had just witnessed an unexpected bonus in a clown's impromptu performance, the members of parliament, who had just finished their "cannibalistic feat" and were preparing to leave, burst into laughter again.

The referee adjusted his glasses and glanced at the crazed Chianti with pity.

He was the one who hunted down Saria. He had initially thought that Senator Chianti, who dared to pull such a stunt at a crucial moment when the parliament was conducting a corporate balancing strategy to profit himself, must be a very cunning and shrewd genius. But he was truly disappointed.

He's just a brainless idiot. Even a perfect plan might fail if entrusted to him. Replacing him sooner rather than later was definitely the right thing to do.

Looking at Chianti, the referee walked up to the platform with a cold smile, to the second seat in the third row, and pressed the red button on the voting machine in that empty seat.

"drop!"

The count on the big screen updated to 350:0.

At that moment, Senator Chianti sat frozen on the podium, tears streaming down his face.

The last member of parliament who hadn't voted yet has now done so.

That vacant seat belonged to him.

He has just sentenced himself to death.

Chapter Thirty-Nine: The Death of Rhine's Life

The hearing concluded. The presiding judge, however, did not leave the Capitol building. Instead, he went straight to his office, where several legislators, ready to take over the Silicon Valley state seats, had been waiting for some time.

"Although I know it's pointless for me to say this, I truly mean no harm. I'm just curious, what did Chianti say when she left?"

The man smoking a cigar joked. He genuinely meant Chianti no harm; the two hadn't even met before. However, he was very interested in Silicon Valley, that money-grubbing mecca. As the saying goes, even if a deal falls through, goodwill remains. Although he had unhesitatingly voted for Chianti, that wouldn't stop him from showing some concern for this poor man later.

The referee glanced at the man and shrugged.

"He didn't say anything, but he kept looking like he wanted to say something but couldn't, as if he wanted to persuade me to stay. But you know I'm fair, I would never do such a thing."

"So what will he do next?" the man asked again. The referee frowned, looking somewhat displeased. Didn't he understand this? Or was he saying it on purpose, breaking the rules, not knowing that a gentleman should leave room for courtesy, and not saying what he saw through?

Seeing that things were not going well, the woman next to her quickly added:

“Mr. Rocky, you’re still young, and this is your first time as a senator. You can’t handle this kind of thing. For people like us, politics is life. Losing politics and status is worse than being killed. Senator Chianti has been stripped of his state legislator position. If he has a good mindset, he might be able to get through this and stage a comeback. If he has a bad mindset and can’t get through it… well, we can only hope that the bottom of the Great Lakes is deep enough.”

If it's too shallow, it might overflow. After all, Colombia has developed so rapidly in recent years, and many people who can't keep up with the times have chosen to jump. Hopefully, Senator Chianti is alright.

"Let's not talk about that, let's get down to business. Now that Chianti has been dealt with, the last person who was biased against the balancing strategy and wanted to use Loken Tank to monopolize Columbia's biotechnology field has also fallen. It's time to make a move on Rhine Lab and Loken Tank."

The chief referee waved his hand, ending the discussion.

"The 'nails' at Rhine Labs have reported to us several times that they have expanded their production lines to produce the so-called 'Saver' Oripathy inhibitors at full capacity. Now is the best time to act. As long as we arrange for the 'nails' to withdraw their investment now, Rhine Labs' cash flow will be cut off instantly as they frantically expand their production scale."

"However, I actually think it doesn't matter if we resort to underhanded tactics all the time."

The chief referee shrugged.

"After all, they are making Oripathy inhibitors for civilians. Anyone with a little business sense can see how contradictory the words 'for civilians' and 'Oripathy inhibitors' are. Even if we don't take action, Rhine Lab will probably go bankrupt in the end because it can't sell them."

"So, the reason I've gathered you all here today is to decide on this matter: should we act quickly and withdraw our investment to slow down Rhine Lab's momentum and maintain parity with Loken Tank, or should we take it slow and watch Rhine Lab self-destruct? What do you all think?"

“I think it’s better to act quickly, after all, things can change if we wait too long,” the man smoking the cigar said first. He clearly wanted the Federal Council to take action and make Rhine Lab realize its status—a domestic dog is just a domestic dog. If it wants to break free of its shackles and become a pack of wolves, it has to ask its master’s iron whip first.

The woman, who enjoyed peace and harmony, followed closely behind, shaking her head.

“I think we can take it slow. We can save the nails for later. There’s no rush.”

Two different voices emerged. The head referee turned his gaze to the last person sitting on the sofa, legs crossed, and asked:

What do you think?

The man was silent for a moment before speaking, "I think we should act sooner rather than later. The Technology Expo is a rare opportunity. Giving up the entire expo just to suppress Rhine Life is not a good idea. Let's end this sooner rather than later."

“Then I agree.” The chief referee raised his hand. “The final score is three to one, so let’s get ready to begin. Inform the nails that they should prepare to withdraw their shares during the next capacity expansion.”

"clear."

.............

Columbia, Rhine Life headquarters.

Director Henry is inspecting production on the assembly line. Orders have been plentiful recently, with numerous medical institutions and large corporations showing interest in this Oripathy inhibitor. Most will opt to order a small quantity for trial use, and only after confirming its effectiveness will they make large-scale purchases. Purchase commitments have been signed in droves, and the production line is being expanded repeatedly. If all goes well, Rhine Life will soon undergo a transformation.

Director Henry is looking forward to that day, but for now, he still needs to give these employees, who are used to being lazy and lethargic, a boost of morale!

"I already told you, sorting needs to be done properly and quickly. Your skill level is even worse than mine. Are you the director or am I the director?!"

"Are you trying to quit? Look at you, you can't even pull a lever properly. Aren't you Waifans supposed to be strong? Get moving!"

"What are you looking at? You think you're someone special...?"

Henry, the director, suddenly stopped mid-sentence, because the person in front of him was not one of his employees, but a prominent figure from the past, former Silicon Valley state legislator, Chianti.

"Former congressman, what brings you here?"

Director Henry's face turned cold as he asked. At the same time, he silently made a mental note of Seria's actions. Where had this head of the defense department been slacking off again? How could she let any dangerous person into the company? Hadn't she seen the recent news? The news of Representative Chianti's stripping of his state legislator position due to a scandal had spread far and wide! If he were to join Rhine Life now, and someone with ulterior motives saw it, who knows what kind of fabricated scandals or gossip would be made up for Rhine Life.

"It seems you're not very welcoming to me, Director Henry."

Senator Chianti's attire remained impeccable, even appearing to have undergone a slight upgrade, but the weariness on his face was undeniable. He looked like a loser desperately trying to maintain his dignity through his appearance, appearing quite pathetic in Director Henry's eyes.

"Of course you're not welcome. You didn't have an appointment with me, and I didn't receive any news of your visit to Rhine Life. Do you expect to be treated well by the host if you come uninvited?"

Since the pretense of civility had already been laid bare, and with Rhine Life backing him, Director Henry's aura intensified, and he spoke bluntly.

Chianti sneered:

“You’re right, but it’s alright. I’m just here to witness something that’s about to happen. After I’m done, I’ll leave. I won’t take up too much of your time. If you don’t want to see me, just pretend I don’t exist.”

"Witness something? The rise of Rhine Lab?"

Director Henry frowned. Chianti was ousted by him, but he showed no anger or sorrow. Director Henry didn't even see hatred in his eyes. This inexplicable attitude made him feel uneasy.

Chianti shook her head and denied it, saying, "No, no, no."

"It is the death of Rhine Life."

Chapter Forty: The Patriot's Journey

July 6, 1092, Ursus, snowfield.

Days on the snowfield always dragged on endlessly, to the point that Talulah almost forgot how long she had been wandering this snowfield since killing Koschei and escaping the duchy. The vast expanse of white snow painted the entire land in vibrant hues, withered bushes lay prostrate on either side of the road, life was extinguished here, and hope seemed like a joke confined to nursery rhymes and stories.

The vast wilderness and the insignificance of human beings can evoke an overwhelming sense of loneliness, but thankfully, Talulah is not alone.

Talulah set down the firewood she had trekked several kilometers to retrieve from an abandoned forest in the distance and lit a campfire. The cold weather meant little to her fiery bloodline, but for those in the group, such as Alina, Ino, and Sasha, or young children, the campfire's small warmth in the biting wind was invaluable.

"Alina, go and tell everyone to prepare dinner."

Talulah filled a basin with the readily available snow, lit a campfire with her own flame, boiled a basin of water, washed her hands, looked up at her best friend standing beside her, and said...

"Well, Talulah, the Patriot wants to see you."

Alina nodded and said. Talulah was somewhat surprised:

"You met him? How did it go?"

Alina had always been reluctant to appear in front of the old man Bozokasti and Yelena. She always mingled with the children, deliberately avoiding the fragile core leadership of their snowfield guerrilla force.

Talulah didn't know why Alina insisted on doing this, and when she asked her, she just smiled slightly. So much so that even now, apart from the more enlightened Yelena who knew that "there was a beloved teacher, Caprini, in the infected's ranks," the Patriots' understanding of Alina's existence was still limited to "an ordinary team member."

“He’s a bit…too serious.” Alina rubbed her head.

Talulah shrugged helplessly. Indeed, many people who meet Patriot for the first time will instinctively feel intimidated by his taciturn personality and huge body.

But in reality, this Sarkaz old man has a heart more steadfast and easygoing than anyone else's. He hardly cares about etiquette and is happy to accept the opinions of others, especially Yelena and Talulah. Although he will explain his reasoning and question the unreasonable parts of the opinions, as long as you explain patiently and persuade sincerely, he will gradually understand.

So far, there has been no instance of the old patriot showing off his power.

However, it takes time to go from acquaintance to familiarity to friendship. Talulah doesn't expect Alina to become friends with someone like Patriot all at once, but this is at least a good start. If Alina is willing to join the team's leadership and development, with her abilities and personality, many problems can be easily solved.

"You'll get used to it. Old Patriot may seem cold, but he's kind at heart. He's a respectable and good man."

"Talulah said. She then changed the subject:"

"What does Mr. Patriot want with me?"

Alina shook her head: "I don't know, but he was packing his bags, and it looked like he was leaving."

leave?

Talulah was getting restless. Patriot was their Infected squad's guarantee of survival on the snowfield and their ability to fight off the search party. Without him and his Shield Guards, Talulah might have been wiped out by the Ursus Scouts at the very beginning of the operation. But was he really leaving now?

Talulah's heart tightened, and she said to Alina, "I'll go check on the situation." She then quickly ran away from the makeshift tent.

Patriot's camp was about a hundred meters away from Talulah's squad. This was his own choice, because many infected would be afraid of Patriot's body and race, and Patriot wasn't keen on being near people. He preferred to sit alone on a boulder in the wilderness, gazing towards St. Arthur's Castle, the capital of the Ursus Empire to the south, for an entire day. He only leisurely returned from the snowfield when Yelena angrily shouted and yelled in the camp because she couldn't find him.

Talulah jogged to the camp and, sure enough, saw Patriot, fully armored and carrying a heavy pack. She quickly went up to him and asked:

"Captain, where are you going?"