It was bound to end on a sour note. Xiao Ran had maintained a smiling demeanor throughout, yet out of more than a hundred people, fewer than ten had expressed friendliness or a willingness to cooperate with him. Most simply flicked their sleeves and left. The most indifferent were the seven leaders, who merely nodded calmly at Xiao Ran, a man of unknown origins who had appeared from nowhere, before following Cardias's servants away under his arrangements.
Xiao Ran firmly remembered those fewer than ten people. Anyone who could remain friendly toward him under such circumstances was usually a smart person who knew how to read the situation. And the smarter they were, the better they understood how to choose. To Xiao Ran, the smarter they were, the more likely cooperation became.
Under Cardias's arrangements, the seven leaders were each sent to a separate small building. Cardias did not immediately hurry over with Xiao Ran after they had settled in. Instead, he deliberately delayed for a full two hours. During those two hours, Cardias and Xiao Ran discussed who should serve as their first breakthrough.
Choosing a breakthrough point had to be handled with extreme caution. Even if the other side seemed likely to be recruited into their camp, it was no different. Once they failed, Xiao Ran would have no choice but to silence them in order to keep the secret, and that would create unnecessary complications for their future plans.
After discussing it, they concluded that the Privilege Faction could not be approached, nor were the military faction members likely possibilities. The elder faction had too many entanglements and could not be contacted lightly. The easiest targets to win over were three people. The first was the sinister man from the Commoner Faction, Maxi, an Earth Federation general