Due to the limited number of people in the know and the legion's lack of publicity, the news of Aurora becoming Beyond Grade A did not reach the outside world. However, about half a month later, Han Xiao held a special welcome meeting for her.
The association headquarters, Planet Fein, is currently holding a welcome meeting.
The venue was filled with remote projections of important figures. Compared to forty years ago, there were more seats in the room, and there was an empty seat next to Hila, which was reserved for Aurora.
At this moment, the Beyond Grade A in the arena were all whispering among themselves, curiously speculating about the identity of this newly promoted Beyond Grade A.
Because the news had not been leaked, most of the people present were unaware that a new Beyond Grade A had been born in the universe, and they were unclear about the newcomer's identity.
"I wonder if the newcomer is a neutral party or a member of a major faction."
"There was absolutely no word from the outside world before Black Star recruited this person. It seems like this newcomer has a very close relationship with Black Star."
"I'm just curious about what kind of superpowered being this newcomer is."
"I hope he's not a martial artist; there are already enough people who aren't quite right in the head..."
The crowd discussed amongst themselves, and several factions emerged during the conversation.
As the saying goes, "Outside the party, there is no party; outside the party, there is no party; within the party, All Kinds of Oddities." After forty years of integration, many new factions have emerged within the Beyond Grade A Association.
Some are divided by their major factions, such as the distinction between the direct descendants, allies, and neutrals of the Three Universal Civilizations, which has existed for a long time; some are divided by the closeness of their cooperative relationship, such as the Beyond Grade A forces that have complementary attributes and close cooperative relationships, which are somewhat closer; and there is another type that is divided by different professions, which arose from the private dissemination of the Ultimate Knowledge of each profession, so the five systems spontaneously banded together and gathered around the big shots of the same profession.
Therefore, many members hope that newcomers will have the same profession as them, in order to expand the faction.
After letting everyone discuss for a while, Han Xiao clapped his hands and smiled.
"Alright, let's quiet down and welcome the newlyweds."
Upon hearing the vice president's order, all the members present shut their mouths, taking it for granted, and completely ignored Manison, who was resting with his eyes closed.
Before long, the side door of the venue opened, Aurora stepped out, curiously looking at everyone present.
The Beyond Grade A members present also looked on with curiosity and whispered among themselves.
"She's the newly promoted Beyond Grade A, she doesn't look like a martial artist, so I'm relieved."
"Hmm, I don't know her. I know all the well-known Beyond Grade A Seed in the entire universe, and she's definitely not among them."
"That's strange, she looks somewhat familiar... Don't you guys think she looks a bit like Hila?"
Just then, Han Xiao spoke:
"This newcomer is named Aurora. She recently entered the Beyond Grade A realm. She is Hila's sister and also serves the Black Star Army. Her abilities are the exact opposite of Hila's; she wields the power of life, allowing people to quickly recover from injuries and replenish their life force... Aurora, on behalf of the Beyond Grade A Association, I welcome you to the team."
As soon as he finished speaking, almost everyone's face showed astonishment.
This newcomer is another officer in the Black Star Army?!
And it's another relative of Beyond Grade A, the probability is too low!
"One controls death, the other controls life, and they're sisters... Why does that sound so familiar..." Murmurs rippled through the room.
Upon hearing this, many people recalled that among the First Ones were a pair of similar sisters.
The same superpower, and they're both sisters... What a coincidence!
If you said that the two sisters in front of them had no relation to the two the First Ones sisters in history, most people present would never believe it even if they were beaten to death.
Recalling the story of the two the First Ones sisters, the way everyone looked at Hila and Aurora changed subtly, their disbelief mixed with a hint of fervor.
Hila's power shortens lifespan, while her sister's is the opposite—couldn't she extend life? If she were even more powerful, perhaps she could emulate the First Ones and create the legendary "Netherland"?
Immediately, most of the people present felt the urge to befriend Aurora and immediately offered their welcome with great enthusiasm.
They avoided Hila, but did the exact opposite with Aurora.
Seeing this, Hila spoke coldly, her tone carrying a warning. "Don't even think about messing with my sister, or I won't be polite."
"We greeted Aurora, what's it to you?"
Many people scoffed.
Although they were wary of Hila's abilities, they refused to back down.
Despite their stubbornness, few people harbored ill intentions. The Beyond Grade A Association had been operating for fifty years and had established its authority. Few were willing to break the rules and harm its members. Moreover, the Black Star Army was a behemoth that most people feared. Even those who weren't afraid of Hila had to consider the Black Star.
The thought of Black Star made everyone present feel a pang of sadness.
They've gained another Beyond Grade A cadre... Where did Black Star find so many top talents? I'm so envious!
"Um, I'm Aurora, it's a pleasure to join the association..."
Aurora went to her seat, gave a brief self-introduction, and then recited some platitudes, nothing more than expressing her honor in joining the association.
Everyone responded in a friendly manner, and many people's words contained a slight hint of flattery.
The two sides were exchanging compliments, while Hila watched coldly from the sidelines, secretly curling her lip in disapproval.
--Tch, a bunch of sycophants. I've never seen you guys this enthusiastic towards me before...
Aurora was the star of today's orientation meeting. Having finally entered the Beyond Grade A circle, she was full of curiosity and chattered excitedly with everyone, a stark contrast to Hila's aloofness.
From her, everyone confirmed that Aurora could extend people's lives, and they were overjoyed.
However, when this requirement was mentioned, Aurora passed the buck to Han Xiao, indicating that she would only follow Black Star's orders—this was pre-arranged to further increase Han Xiao's influence and maximize the success rate of his succession.
Hearing this, everyone couldn't help but look at Han Xiao frequently. Seeing him smile without saying a word, they knew that only by paying a reward could they obtain Han Xiao's permission... Having known each other for many years, everyone already knew that Black Star was not a kind person and could not be fooled. Coincidentally, the election for the chairman was just around the corner, and Black Star's subtext was self-evident.
After chatting for a while, someone couldn't resist their curiosity and asked:
Why did you choose to serve the Black Star Army?
"Black Star saved me before..." Aurora briefly recounted her experiences from the early stages of her Germinal, indicating that Black Star had saved her life.
Upon hearing this, even those who already knew about Black Star's early career couldn't help but show expressions of amazement.
--A mere surface civilization organization has actually produced three Beyond Grade A beings who traverse the universe. The fortune of this Germinal Organization is simply too heaven-defying!
After a while, Han Xiao, seeing that the conversation had gone on long enough, changed the subject and interjected:
"Alright, now that everyone knows each other, let me take this opportunity to emphasize that the next meeting will be the election for president. At that time, Manison will step down, and everyone who is interested can run for the position. The second president will be determined by a vote, one person, one vote. Don't forget, everyone!"
Everyone nodded in agreement.
At the same time, Manison opened his eyes a crack, glanced at Han Xiao, and then closed them again.
Shattered World.
"The election for the next president... If only I could sit in that position..."
Inside the main hall, Roles's eyes gleamed.
He is a newly born Beyond Grade A in the last forty years. He joined the association early and quickly built his own power through this platform. Therefore, he is very familiar with the power of the association and has always been envious, occasionally fantasizing about taking power one day.
With a new president to be elected in two months, Roles felt his opportunity had arrived.
As a newcomer, he knew he was too inexperienced to compare with veterans like Black Star, but his ambition made him want to give it a try. If he succeeded, he would make a fortune.
He's a man of action; once he has an idea, he plans to put it into practice immediately.
"I'm definitely no match for Black Star, but the election of the chairman is a vote. My chances are slim, but not entirely hopeless..."
Roles's eyes darted around.
The newcomer has only been in the Beyond Grade A circle for a short time and is at the initial level. He has no way of knowing Han Xiao's private relationships with other members, so he doesn't have a deep understanding of Black Star's connections. This is like a newcomer who is a level below being unable to see all the hidden strength of an industry bigwig.
Therefore, in Roles' view, he was not without a chance.
One of the reasons he dared to do this was that, as a member of the association, his life would not be in danger.
In terms of combat strength, although Roles admitted that he was no match for Han Xiao, he felt that the gap should not be too exaggerated.
By the time Roles rose to prominence, Han Xiao had been keeping a low profile for some time. His knowledge of Black Star's combat strength was based on hearsay; he had never experienced it firsthand. Watching videos online made it difficult for him to grasp the details.
Excessive self-confidence is a common problem among most freshmen Beyond Grade A. They are audacious, ambitious, and often want to challenge the person on the Throne and take their place.
Generally, only harsh social treatment can cure this condition, but since Roles entered Beyond Grade A, he has not received any "treatment".
"Although Black Star has shown a strong determination to get the chairmanship, who says I can't just snatch it away...?"
Roles began to have his own plans and was eager to try.
Two months passed quickly, and the election for the new leadership of the Beyond Grade A Association arrived as scheduled. All the major powers in the universe turned their attention to this matter, paying attention to it and waiting for the results.
In the closed meeting room, all members logged on early. The atmosphere was solemn, and everyone's eyes kept shifting between Manison and Han Xiao.
"Ahem, now that everyone's here, let's begin."
Han Xiao spoke, then looked at Manison with a smile.
"Please, Your Excellency, chair the meeting."
Manison glanced at him, slowly stood up, and surveyed the entire room.
After a moment of silence, Manison spoke in a deep voice:
"The association stipulates that a president is elected every fifty years. Now that fifty years have passed, I will step down as president and will not run for re-election."
As soon as he finished speaking, everyone was stunned.
Although everyone thought beforehand that Manison would not be able to win re-election, no one thought that Mechanic Emperor would give up so easily. Unexpectedly, Manison simply did not run for re-election.
Han Xiao was also a little surprised. He had been on guard, preparing to deal with Manison's moves one by one, but the other party simply raised the white flag.
Strange, this isn't like Old Manison's character!
"You're really not running? Are you afraid of losing badly to me and losing face?" Han Xiao asked again.
"Hmph." Manison didn't bother to respond.
Seeing this, Han Xiao shook his head.
Regardless of what Manison thinks, as long as he doesn't run for election, his biggest competitor will be gone, and his chances of becoming president are basically secured.
"In that case, I'll be the first to run." Han Xiao surveyed everyone's expressions and asked, enunciating each word clearly, "Who else?"
Many people looked away, avoiding eye contact with him.
Given the current situation, Black Star's appointment as chairman is a foregone conclusion, and he is indeed the most suitable candidate.
None of the most qualified candidates, all Peak Beyond Grade A, spoke up. Most of them wisely kept quiet and didn't cause trouble. They all thought it best to let Black Star run for president alone, skip the voting process, and directly elect him as president.
However, just when everyone thought things would develop this way, a confident voice suddenly rang out.
I'm running for office!
Who's so stubborn?!
Everyone was taken aback, turned to look, and their expressions immediately became strange.
Roles raised one hand, holding the pose with an excited smile on his face, as if enjoying the moment of being the center of attention.
"Are you sure?" Han Xiao, somewhat surprised.
"Since everyone can choose, why not give it a try? Maybe I'll win!" Roles was completely unafraid, staring directly at Han Xiao, exuding a competitive aura.
This scene might seem somewhat exciting, but to everyone else, it was nothing but absurdity.
This newbie is too arrogant! Does he really want to arm-wrestle with Black Star...?
At the same time, Aurora quietly leaned close to Hila's ear and whispered:
"This guy must be a martial artist, right?"
Hila glanced at her sideways.
You guessed right.