"Small cities are nothing. The Twelve Main Cities can also dictate what happens to the residents around them, but places occupied by stranded Players and the rebels won't be so easy."
Mei Zheng's eyes were hidden behind his glasses. The shifting light and shadows made his gaze hard to read, as if he were peering at something.
"We can't kill them all," Lou Fei said beside him. "If a candidate massacres citizens beforehand, no District will allow him to win an election."
"Of course, you can negotiate with them, but the rebels and us stranded Players are on different sides. The terms you offer us won't appeal to them."
"I can't speak for the other Main Cities, but King City will never give up its power." Her voice sank slightly.
"It's not that Ms. Lou is being stubborn," Mei Zheng said. "Crown City and King City are different from the other Main Cities. Although we occupy better resources, we haven't mistreated the locals living nearby. On the contrary, we've sheltered them and provided some benefits to help them survive."
"You can tell from the scale of the buildings around here. Many people moved here later."
"Most of the rebels may be locals, but that doesn't mean they care much about their fellow citizens. Giving up power may not be a good thing for the other ordinary people."
Xu Huo understood what they meant. They simply wanted to toss the problem back to him and make him deal with the rebels and the other stranded Players. But those two matters really couldn't be left to the Twelve Main Cities.
"Follow the election process and start making preparations," he said. "Apart from me, the Twelve Main Cities, the rebels, and the five medium-sized cities will each put forward one candidate."
"Discuss the