To become the first person under his command, that was Kafu's plan.
Not only was Qin Siyang surprised, even Zhao Longfei was shocked.
Kafu was currently the District Chief of District 7, with an administrative rank equal to a state governor. In the entire United Government, there were only a handful of people who could order him around.
Yet now, he wanted to pledge himself directly to Qin Siyang, an eighteen-year-old student, and let himself be commanded by him.
Even if the Richard family withdrew its support for him, and in the near future the Zhao family's influence pushed him out of his position as District Chief and transferred him elsewhere to an idle post, Kafu, having committed no wrongdoing, would still be an important official. He could never fall so low as to become a stray dog on the street.
The respect he was showing Qin Siyang was beyond imagination.
Either Kafu had some other scheme or he firmly believed that following Qin Siyang would bring him tenfold returns.
Zhao Longfei seemed to think of something and narrowed his eyes, "District Chief Kafu, are you trying to use your allegiance to Little Qin to keep yourself from losing your position as District Chief of District 7?"
After hearing that, Qin Siyang also became wary.
If that was Kafu's plan, he would never agree.
Whether Kafu's loyalty was genuine or fake, the position of District Chief of District 7 was too important to be treated carelessly.
Qin Siyang and Zhao Longfei had already reached a consensus. Only Chen Zhongming, who had been tested many times, could sit in that position. Anyone else simply would not do.
Kafu shook his head, "No. I won't stay in District 7. Once the Richard family withdraws, the United Government won't immediately find another usable piece to check the Zhao family. So the position of District Chief of District 7 will certainly fall under your Zhao family's control. Staying here won't be of much use to Mr. Qin."
"I imagine the person you have in mind for District Chief of District 7 is Chen Zhongming, right? I'll give the position to him."
"Give?", Zhao Longfei questioned, "The Richard family is no longer supporting you. Your political career in the United Government is basically over. Sooner or later you'll pack up and leave. In what sense are you 'giving' the position away?"
Kafu answered steadily, "Principal Zhao, the only person you can currently call on who has any chance and ability to become District Chief is Chen Zhongming. But even he is far from qualified on paper."
"Even if I leave, Chen Zhongming still won't be qualified to take this position. A mayor coming to District 7 as Deputy District Chief, a post equivalent to a deputy governor, is already an exceptional promotion. How long do you think it will take before he can officially become District Chief? Six months? One year? Two years?"
"Principal Zhao, don't forget that things inside the Safe Zone change in unpredictable ways. Yesterday morning I was still attending the Richard family's meeting. Tonight I'm sitting here with you discussing surrender."
"What if, before you've finished preparing Chen Zhongming, the United Government sends someone from the Jiang family or another family under the Lotus Cloud Chamber of Commerce to take the position?"
Zhao Longfei's hand tightened slightly before relaxing again.
Kafu's words struck at the heart of the matter.
Whether Chen Zhongming could accumulate enough achievements in time to earn promotion and successfully take the position of District Chief of District 7 was still uncertain.
"So when you say you'll give up the position, what do you mean?"
"I have an achievement in hand that's enough to get him promoted to District Chief."
"What achievement?"
"Eliminating the heretical church in District 7."
Zhao Longfei frowned tightly, "What heretical church is there in District 7?"
"There is one. And it's very powerful."
Kafu spoke each word distinctly, "I've already located the branch of the Samsara Church in District 7."
Zhao Longfei immediately waved his hand in denial.
"Impossible! If there were a branch of the Samsara Church in District 7, there's no way I wouldn't know about it!"
Kafu laughed, "Principal Zhao, are you trying to use your traditional tactic of provoking me into revealing my information?"
Zhao Longfei's face darkened as he continued trying to judge whether Kafu was telling the truth.
Kafu continued, "But even if I tell you, it doesn't matter. Because in all of District 7, only I have the courage and the ability to wipe out this branch of the Samsara Church."
Zhao Longfei crossed his arms over his chest, "I think you're just making things up!"
Kafu did not mind, "Principal Zhao, everyone in the Safe Zone knows and respects the power of your [Surveillance]. Since your Zhao family wants control of District 7, you naturally wouldn't tolerate the existence of a heretical church. Under normal circumstances, if you say there's no heretical church in District 7, then there isn't one. Yet I still discovered one."
"That proves you aren't monitoring all of District 7."
Zhao Longfei looked impatient, "Of course I can't monitor all of District 7! District Chief Kafu, don't tell me you're going to say there's a branch of the Samsara Church living in some forgotten corner, or down in some dark, unlit sewer?"
"No."
"What I'm saying is that there are places where Principal Zhao deliberately chose not to deploy surveillance. So the Samsara Church has grown right under your nose, and you never realized it."
"I still don't know what place you're talking about."
Kafu's words rang out forcefully, "Xuanxuan Clothing City."
In an instant, Zhao Longfei's eyes widened, "You mean..."
"That's right. Xuanxuan Clothing City, the one Gu Weirong registered under his daughter Gu Yunxuan's name. I assume that, in order not to offend the Gu family, Principal Zhao never deployed surveillance over the Gu family's business operations?"
Qin Siyang looked at Zhao Longfei.
Zhao Longfei did not answer.
But the dramatic change in his expression, along with the suspicion in his eyes, said everything.
"You helped transfer Chen Zhongming here, and you're partners with the Gu family, so he can't possibly lead an investigation into them."
"The Gu family neither helped me gain promotion nor helped my family through its difficulties. I have no ties to them whatsoever. If I lead the investigation into the heretical Church hiding within the Gu family, it's justified both publicly and privately! And after the investigation, on the surface, Secretary-General Gu will even have to thank me for helping his family root out the traitors and reward me."
Kafu drained the wine from his cup in one gulp. His eyes shone brightly as he raised three fingers.
"District 7."
"The Samsara Church."
"The Gu family."
"Those three key words are enough to make up an achievement worthy of promoting me straight into the senior ranks of the United Government in District 2."
Zhao Longfei fell silent.
If the matter of the Samsara Church was true, then Kafu's transfer to District 2 and entry into the core political circle was almost certain.
Lying to him? Unlikely. If he wasn't sure of himself and the information about the Samsara Church turned out to be false, Kafu, as the man leading the investigation against the Gu family, would probably be unable to save his own life.
Moreover, Zhao Longfei believed that the fact Kafu could say all this, and knew that Xuanxuan Clothing City lay outside his surveillance, already made the matter ninety-nine percent certain.
Kafu's confidence was also completely justified. If he did not take the lead, neither Zhao Longfei nor Chen Zhongming would actually dare to do it.
"After investigating the Gu family's heretical Church, I'll use that achievement to transfer to another post. Chen Zhongming can share a little of the credit and smoothly take over as District Chief. It kills two birds with one stone."
At that moment, Qin Siyang, who had been watching the whole time, spoke, "District Chief Kafu, if you offend the Gu family, why do you still plan to take a post in District 2? Wouldn't that be even more dangerous?"
Kafu smiled knowingly after hearing that, "Mr. Qin is indeed kind-hearted. Principal Zhao only cares whether what I said is true. But you care whether I'll be alright. That makes me look forward even more to following Mr. Qin in the future."
"Offending the Gu family would indeed make it dangerous for me to go to District 2 and face Gu Weiyang. So my plan is to use this achievement to transfer out and become the governor of State 12."
"As it happens, their governor, my cousin Dibaxi, just resigned and joined the Trinity Sect, leaving the position vacant."