"The struggle for the Shadow Candidate might seem like nine contestants standing on the sa starting line, competing fairly," Uncle Li Dong said with a sarcastic chuckle beside the campfire, "but where in this world is there absolute fairness? Behind every Shadow Candidate stands a different clan faction, all ready to pull out all the stops to support their champion."
"Which faction supports Qing Huai? And who supports the other candidates?" Qing Chen asked out of curiosity.
"The support for Qing Huai goes beyond the fourth house. The third house, whose place you took, and even so collateral branches of the Li's Family are backing him. He is truly set with high expectations," Uncle Li Dong said with a smile, "Just wait until your teacher takes out Qing Huai, those people won't have a place left to cry."
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Qing Chen felt puzzled, "I can understand the third house picking a side because if Qing Huai becos the Shadow, naturally he will favor them. But what does this have to do with Li's Family?"
"Because Qing Huai's grandmother is from the Li's Family," Uncle Li Dong laughed, "These major corporations have long been entangled with each other, like the marriage alliance Jindai family desperately wants to push through.
For instance, if Jindai Kongyin marries you and you beco the Shadow, you might control the first generation well enough to prevent the Jindai family from influencing Qing's Family, but what about the descendants? Would the son of Jindai Kongyin not rember his mother's kindness and favor the Jindai family a bit more? Such influence lasts long and seeps in subtly."
"Could you please not use and Jindai Kongyin as an example," Qing Chen felt awkward...
Uncle Li Dong laughed, "Why be shy? If you like her, your teacher can take care of this matter before attending to proper business, no need to wait for any three-year agreent."
"Hold on, stop, let's not talk about this further," Qing Chen hurriedly changed the subject, "So, does the Qing Clan House Master also worry about the aftereffects of this marriage alliance, and that's why he arranged for soone from the fringe of the family to enter the marriage, so as not to affect the future of Qing's Family?"
"That, I do not know," Uncle Li Dong said with profound aning, "Qing Xun, the current Qing Clan House Master, is an extrely mysterious person. He rarely appears in public view, seldom makes direct decisions, and few can guess his thoughts."
Qing Chen muttered, "This generational struggle for supremacy within the Qing's Family, causing everyone to fight each other, isn't that a waste of talents?"
"Not necessarily," Uncle Li Dong said with a smile, "At the midway point of the struggle for the Shadow, so candidates who realize they can't win will choose to back down. For example, if Qing Huai gains a significant advantage, many might feel that further competition could lead to death, so they might give up their own ambitions and start supporting Qing Huai."
It's just like the real-life battle for succession; during the struggle for power, there were supporters of the Crown Prince, Fourth Prince, Eighth Prince, and so on.
But for so of the weaker ones, choosing to follow a strong leader is indeed the best solution.
Qing Chen asked, "So, is Qing Huai currently the most outstanding among the candidates?"
"It's too early to tell. No one can say for sure at the beginning," Uncle Li Dong explained with a smile, "But after graduating from the Tinder Military Academy, Qing Huai was imdiately commissioned as a lieutenant, and now holds a substantive post in the Federal Second Group Army, which does put him ahead of many Shadow Candidates."
"What's his strength level?" Qing Chen asked.
"You don't need to worry about that for now," Uncle Li Dong said, "No need to waste effort on a dead man."
Qing Chen: "..."
Just then, two people stumbled out of a tent not far from the autumn hunting camp.
They danced and laughed foolishly, and Uncle Li sighed, "Another two addicts hooked on Dopamine Chips. Too many disappointing elents in these corporations these days."
As they approached the campfire slowly, one of them suddenly fixed their gaze on Uncle Li and Qing Chen with a goofy grin, "You two servants hurry up and add so wood to our fire. All you do day in and day out is loaf around! Don't you see our fire is about to go out?"
Qing Chen tensed up inside, seeing Uncle Li Dong raise an eyebrow, ready to stand.
He quickly pressed down on his teacher's arm, "I'll add the wood."
With that, Qing Chen efficiently revived the campfire at the autumn hunting grounds.
Only then did the two spoiled young n return to their tent with silly laughs.
Qing Chen looked at Uncle Li Dong, "Were you about to take action just now? There was really no need. I can handle such matters. Please don't get involved; I'm afraid you might end up killing them."
Uncle Li Dong sighed, "Xiao Chen, your teacher feels a great pressure to keep them alive."
Qing Chen: "..."
Alright, alright, you're the strongest, whatever you say goes.
He glanced down at the countdown tir on his arm.
Return Countdown: 166:45:21.
Another seven days had passed.
"I'm going to sleep," Uncle Li Dong said, "Aren't you going to sleep? Yino has prepared your tent."
"Teacher, can you not be so nosy," Qing Chen couldn't help but cry with laughter, "Go to sleep. I need to observe for a while longer."
Qing Chen didn't say what he wanted to observe.
...
Early the next morning, Jindai Kongyin was the first to pack up the campsite and get ready to depart.
Li Yinuo hauled the dandies who were still lazing in bed out of their tents one by one and threw them into the vehicle.
So were still hungover, while others had overdosed on dopamine chips.
The Autumn Hunting Team was nearly a hundred strong, with more than half resembling a pile of useless mud.
In a low voice, Qing Chen said to Uncle Li Dong, "No wonder the corporations don't let these people have real power. If they did, the building would have already collapsed."
Uncle Li Dong nodded, "Every generation of young people in the corporations is a bit polarized, the smart ones incredibly so, and the foolish, exceptionally so."
At that mont, only Nan Gengchen sat silently by the campfire, hugging his knees, watching Li Yinuo toss those people one by one into the vehicle.
Qing Chen could sense that the other party couldn't help but want to steal glances at him, yet ti and again forcibly restrained himself...
"He's improved quite a bit," Qing Chen reflected inwardly. Had it been before, this guy definitely wouldn't have been able to hold back.
Wait, Qing Chen suddenly felt sothing was off.
He went through his mories again and realized that one of the dandies was completely different from his recollection.
Yesterday, when that dandy had first arrived at the campsite, he was all cheer and mischief.
Today, not only had the person sobered up, he was no longer frolicking with his companions and was instead discreetly surveying his surroundings.
The man was aloof from the crowd, not because of antisocial behavior, but rather it seed like he was getting accustod to a new and unfamiliar environnt.
Qing Chen looked towards Li Yinuo. The robust girl pretended to be nonchalant but glanced three tis in one minute at the dandy who remained vigilant of his surroundings.
The dandy had noticed the Ti Traveler as well.
However, what he didn't know was that there wasn't just one Ti Traveler who had crossed into the campsite this ti.
Elsewhere, a young man was frolicking and cavorting with other dandies.
It was like a performance of exquisite acting skill.
Qing Chen found it interesting.
This ti, there was even a higher-level player in the mix.
But no matter how the person perford, he couldn't fool Qing Chen. It wasn't just that the behavior habits didn't match with the mories, there was also...
Qing Chen had seen this person sticking his head out of the tent the night before.
Every Ti Traveler, upon finding themselves in a tent after crossing, can't resist the urge to see the world outside.
That was the aning behind his statent to Uncle Li Dong about observing for a while longer.
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