The dawn's light unveils the veil of night, revealing a radiant sunrise.
Lu Li felt an itch on her neck and reached out to brush aside a few strands of long hair.
Yangma was sleeping beside her, her face full of exhaustion, and even in her sleep, her arms were tightly wrapped around her chest.
Psychologically, such people are considered to lack a sense of security.
It's probably normal to have a mother like that.
Two hours ago, around 4:00, I heard a heated discussion coming from the next room.
The seemingly second-place competitor claimed that if elected, he would reduce the value-added tax from 15% to 8% and double the pension fund.
As a result, his approval rating has soared, exceeding 30%.
On the other hand, the women's side talks about fighting crime and corruption, but these are old news that the public has long lost interest in.
With one side gaining and the other losing, the situation becomes somewhat urgent.
Lu Li felt no sense of belonging to this land and didn't care much about these things.
He simply remained still, letting the girl beside him sleep a little longer.
But people who lack a sense of security tend to be light sleepers, Teresa woke up quickly.
"Good morning."
She rubbed her eyes and stared at Lu Li, saying, "Are you satisfied now?"
"It's alright, much better." Lu Li nodded.
"You used to give off a feeling of... being forced to work. It turns out you're much more comfortable being relaxed."
Teresa glanced at him and said:
"So... are we familiar now? It's hard to believe that you took my virginity and can still say 'we're not familiar'?"
"This must have been Jessica who tipped me off," Lu Li smiled and said.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Canary."
"It's a pleasure to meet you too, Mr. Eagle."
Teresa rolled her eyes at him, while a heated argument erupted from next door:
[Madam, your political views are too radical; you should gradually introduce them after you are elected...]
Thinking of her mother, Teresa quickly got up and dressed.
Her upper body was fine, but when she put on the stockings, her expression tightened, revealing pain. She finally managed to stand up with difficulty, holding onto the bed.
Lu Li asked, "Are you alright?"
Teresa clutched her lower abdomen and frowned, saying:
"I regret leaving you behind... I'm afraid I can't visit the governor looking like this."
~~~~~~~~~
After all, she was a young and beautiful foreign woman with a strong physical endurance.
After catching his breath, he regained his mobility and staggered away.
As soon as she left, seven flying swords eagerly emerged from under the bed.
Like goldfish, it swam around Lu Li, transmitting a wave of hunger through his mind.
"Seven more mouths to feed all of us at once..."
Lu Li first lit two Calming Incense, then channeled seventy percent of his mental energy into the seven flying swords.
They were forged from a torrent of millions of positive wishes, making them not only highly spiritual but also possessing a very good foundation.
Even if the master had seventy percent of his mind, he could still eat. But since he wasn't full, he kept circling around begging for more.
But there are still many things to do, so I can't feed them any more.
Protecting the lady, charging the puppet, refining the Kunlun Mirror, practicing [Sword Control]... all require mental energy.
"What goes around comes around."
Lu Li couldn't help but sigh, ever since he started using Calming Incense as mosquito coil, he had no shortage of mental energy.
However, as one's cultivation level increases, the Calming Incense becomes less effective.
"We need to find a high-quality alternative to Calming Incense."
While pondering this, Lu Li decided against using the one-click outfit change and instead manually dressed herself.
He then found a travel backpack and put the seven half-meter-long flying swords inside.
They can stay still even with the zipper open.
Just as she finished tidying up, Teresa knocked on the door and called out:
[Lu Li, my mother is going to give a street speech.]
"OK."
Lu Li responded, looking slightly puzzled.
Shouldn't we visit the governor and our party allies first?
~~~~~~~~~~~
Paying respects to superiors before engaging in business is a universal rule, applicable throughout history and across cultures.
However, if you have enough strength, sometimes you don't necessarily have to follow the rules.
After seeing off the serious-looking campaign team, Ms. Maria began to listen to Aurora's report.
"All 400 militants belonging to the Benjamin Group have been killed, and the cause of death is currently unknown. But there is no doubt that Lu Li has an extremely elite special forces team under his command."
Aurora paused, then continued:
"Following the incident, the Gulf Cartel launched an attack on the Benjamin Group to seize control of the state, leading to riots in several cities."
Ms. Maria cared about nothing else but one thing:
"Even if the drug lords send in their army, they can't do anything to me. In that case... I can go all out and make a big splash!"
She stood up abruptly and said in an unquestionable tone:
"Get ready, I'm going to give a street speech. The content of my speech will be uploaded to the internet simultaneously!"
~~~~~~~~~~
When Lu Li, he saw campaign advisors and executive assistants surrounding the woman, trying to persuade her:
"It would be impolite of you to launch your campaign before you have even contacted your party allies."
"What is the content of your speech? Your approval rating is only slightly higher; it's best not to take any rash actions."
Ms. Maria chuckled softly, "I know what I'm doing. Lu Li, let's go."
Seeing that Lu Li was coming, the two men in suits could only look at each other and make way.
Afterwards, the group went to the busiest pedestrian street in the city center and set up a simple speech venue.
The woman stood in the middle holding a microphone, while Lu Li stood protectively to her side, carrying an open backpack.
Many pedestrians recognized the woman and quickly gathered around her.
When the speech began, Lu Li thought it would be another tired old topic like fighting crime and corruption.
Unexpectedly, the woman shouted in public:
We are not the Star Alliance Country's "piñata"! We are not the Star Alliance Country's servants!
A piñata is a colorful pottery piece filled with candy during festivals, which children then break with sticks for good luck.
However, when used in the context of international relations, the intention becomes very clear.
The woman continued shouting:
[80% of the weapons used to kill the people of Mexico came from the Star Alliance Country! The Star Alliance Country also secretly supports multiple Drug cartel and establishes illegal biological laboratories, using our people for biochemical experiments...]
Upon hearing that a politician dared to criticize the Star Alliance Country, the crowd was initially stunned, then responded with enthusiastic applause and cheers!
The campaign team was stunned, especially the campaign advisors, who looked on in disbelief.
"What is she doing! She's gone mad!"
Lu Li had not expected that the lady would have such strong political views.
It is dangerous for politicians to openly express their hostility towards the Star Alliance Country here.
They either get exposed and forced to step down, or they commit suicide after being shot seven or eight times.
But that's exactly what the public loves to hear!
At this moment, the crowds surged and blocked the road.
People chanted Maria's name, and her approval rating soared to the sky.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
For politicians, high approval ratings are certainly a good thing, but some people don't think so.
As soon as they returned to the hotel, the campaign advisor, his face ashen, said:
"You're crazy! I quit!"
He ripped off his name tag and growled:
"You might be able to evade drug lord assassinations with a bunch of freaks, but what about the Foreign Intelligence Bureau? What good is high approval ratings then!"
The man, who had survived a drug lord attack, turned and left without hesitation.
The executive assistant also stepped forward; although she hadn't resigned, she also brought a series of bad news:
"The governor has canceled the dinner with you... Several party elders have just subtly expressed their dissatisfaction."
Ms. Maria didn't care at all; these things were unimportant.
Her campaign was always missing just one piece of the puzzle!
The woman spoke gently to Lu Li:
"The situation will become even more turbulent, so please do everything in your power to protect our safety. As a token of my appreciation, I will issue you a [PMC] private military company license if I am elected."
Upon hearing this, Lu Li's expression shifted.
Private military companies are essentially mercenary companies.
However, if a government endorses it, it becomes a legitimate "military contractor," that is, a legal private armed force!
With this identity, Lu Li could openly contact "Northern Industries" and buy those "big treasures" on his own.