The position of District Chief of York City District had been settled just like that.
In truth, the help the Academy Faction offered Kallen was simple. They had not helped him climb toward this position, but they could help eliminate outside interference when he was about to take it.
Put plainly, they would prevent another outsider from being parachuted in to dig up Soybean Paste.
Kallen was satisfied with that.
For many local second-in-commands, the difficulty of advancing to the top position often lay not in how well they had done, but with those above them.
Sometimes, the better you performed, the less willing those above were to give you the top position, because those above and below saw things differently.
Those below instinctively wanted to maximize their power, while those above instinctively wanted to prevent that from happening.
After all, from Suss to Gaspol, Kallen had already served under two consecutive leaders parachuted in from above.
This was also one of the Academy Faction's characteristics. It did not actually do much to promote its members. Unlike other political or family factions, it did not systematically channel resources and support toward a standard-bearer and a team built around that person's core followers.
It lacked an active political faction's instinctive drive to survive and perpetuate itself, as well as a factional platform and policies.
So you could not expect it to serve as a stepping stone beneath your feet.
But when your own efforts and excellence brought you within one step of your next goal, it would often reach down with many hands, grab your hands, arms, and shoulders, and pull you up.
Was it pure?
Yes, it was very pure.
Kallen had felt that purity from the moment he entered the living room and greeted everyone. They were all gentlemanly