What Wang Ye meant was, "Don't worry, our faction won't challenge your faction's position."
Don't forget, the Third Faction currently had only forty seats. Even with five more, that would only make forty-five!
Your faction held three hundred seats...
The ones you should be worried about are the Second Faction!
Next year, they would definitely launch an offensive and seize your faction's seats.
They were your greatest enemy!
Naturally, Gryzlov understood that. What he had said earlier was merely out of surprise and reluctance.
So after hearing Wang Ye's words, he burst into laughter and said readily, "Then congratulations. You've gained another capable general! Oleg is a veteran legislator, highly experienced and well connected."
That was true enough.
Wang Ye was already short on people, especially in the Duma. Although his assistants were capable, they were not even legislators, so they could not be of much use.
After Oleg came over, Wang Ye would observe him for a while. If he proved suitable, Wang Ye would hand the faction's chief whip position to him!
As for next year's election, Wang Ye's minimum target was to secure sixty Duma seats!
They had to retain all forty-five of their current seats, then poach at least fifteen qualified legislators from other factions and help them win Duma seats.
Of course, if everything went smoothly and luck was on their side, they might win even more seats!
With at least sixty seats, Wang Ye's influence and standing in the Duma would rise even further!
There was something else to note: after Oleg's faction merged with theirs, he might not be able to keep his deputy speaker position next year.
After all, there had never been a precedent in the Duma of one faction having two speakers—or deputy speakers. Even the First Faction had only