Zuo Teng Under Control

"Captain Zuo Teng, thanks to your security arrangements, this inauguration ceremony was able to conclude successfully!"

Zhang Xuezhou held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to officially take office and finalized contract documents, but he also needed to make an appearance to exchange pleasantries with the guests.

After Zhang Xuezhou thanked the numerous committee members and alternate members who were qualified to participate in the meeting, it was the turn of the people outside.

There were elderly people and children of the old regime who came from afar, as well as some scientific researchers whom Zhang Xuezhou knew from the High-tech Agricultural Products Center, and a special task force responsible for security.

Standing outside the Dongshan Imperial Mausoleum Management Office building, Zhang Xuezhou shook hands with each of the representatives and bowed slightly to express his gratitude.

When Zhang Xuezhou shook hands with Zuo Teng, the Zuo Teng exchanged a glance.

Besides a perfunctory and indifferent smile, Zuo Teng's face also showed a hint of bitterness in his eyes, as well as a touch of surprise when he touched Zhang Xuezhou during their handshake.

"Let's get together more often when we have time, as it's our duty!"

Zuo Teng gave a brief response and then extended an invitation.

This made Zhang Xuezhou shrug, indicating that things were fine, but when they could meet was hard to say.

From Zuo Luo and the others, Zhang Xuezhou knew very well that Zuo Teng was being manipulated. He couldn't talk to Zuo Teng about anything private or confidential anymore, lest he suffer the consequences.

From a safety and security perspective, Zhang Xuezhou believed that only if Zuo Luo, Zuo Quan, and others were completely dead could Zuo Teng possibly return to normal.

Of course, this does not mean that Zuo Teng has always lived in darkness. Since he is controlled by Zuo Luo, he must possess some special abilities, which would give him a greater chance to exert stronger overall strength.

If an opportunity arises that requires cooperation, they can still work together, but the premise of this cooperation is that they cannot discuss anything targeting Zuo Luo and Zuo Quan.

"Zhu Kuang suggested I ask you for advice on how to quickly and easily secure my position without affecting my chances of promotion?" Zuo Teng asked in a low voice.

"A quick and easy way to secure your position?" Zhang Xuezhou thought for a moment and replied, "I think if you're not afraid of losing it, then you've secured your position!"

Are you not afraid of losing it?

Zuo Teng thought for a moment and nodded, then quickly walked off the stage.

If there's anything special about Zuo Teng right now, it's that he's been influenced by Zuo Luo and has become a member of Huang Daoxian's lineage.

When a special chip appeared in his body, Zuo Teng discovered that his life had been completely changed.

He became an outcast in the Scarlet Alliance State, even an outcast they wanted to eliminate.

Few could comprehend his loneliness and anxiety, especially since Zuo Teng knew that Zhang Xuezhou and others suspected Zuo Quan.

It wasn't until Zuo Teng grasped Zhang Xuezhou's hand and clearly saw the shared ancestral aura within Zhang Xuezhou that Zuo Teng's cold heart began to skip a beat.

He didn't end up well, and Zhang Xuezhou was clearly no exception.

How to deal with Huang Daoxian, how to deal with Zuo Quan and Zuo Luo, how to handle relations with the Alliance States, how to preserve one's life, and even how to ascend to a higher level of life form—all these issues were placed before Zuo Teng.

Zuo Teng had no one to discuss this with before, but now he finally found a companion.

Even though this companion is unique in the moment, Zuo Teng feels less lonely.

He was also curious whether Zhang Xuezhou had acquired any new special abilities.

Zuo Teng's expression turned slightly blank, and he glanced at Zhang Xuezhou, who was several dozen meters away.

A faint blue light inadvertently flashed across his right hand, and his arm instantly gained a degree of hardness and flexibility, as if it had been enhanced in a short period of time. Zuo Teng's hand had already completed the semi-wooden transformation.

His right hand, while not as strong as a sword, is far more powerful than carbon-based muscles and bones.

And this strength will increase as his sequence advances.

This is the physical ability he gained from transforming into the Zuo Luo subspecies, and he also learned a kind of aura-gazing ability from Zuo Luo.

When Zuo Teng looked at Zhang Xuezhou, he could see a red aura emanating from Zhang Xuezhou, with occasional glimmers of black and golden light.

"It seems a bit different from what Zuo Luo described. Whatever, I'm just controlled by him and can't resist him; I need to follow his orders, but I don't have to report everything to him!"

The situation that Zuo Teng observed regarding Zhang Xuezhou largely matched what Zuo Luo described. It was a vibrant and flourishing scene. Such people are like lush, growing trees; they are energetic in everything they do and easily achieve their goals.

Zuo Teng could also see a tiny black glimmer within Zhang Xuezhou's red aura. Whenever the black glimmer devoured the red aura, it was like a tree encountering a locust plague, destined to either become sick or wither, its fate uncertain.

"I don't even know what color my aura is anymore. Over the years... never mind, given the current state of the Zuo Household, my aura must be a mixture of black and red!"

Zuo Teng looked towards the direction of North Rehe with considerable envy.

Now, only Zuo Denggao and a few others from the Zuo Household are still relatively normal. The others are either dead or controlled and unable to move freely. Furthermore, some members of the Lineage have had their "qi" drained by Zuo Luo, and their lifespans will not be long.

The Zuo Household, which once seemed to be among the most powerful of the nineteen major Lineage in Western Capital City, has almost been wiped out without anyone noticing.

"This is karma!"

Looking at the Eastern Mountain Imperial Mausoleum, he thought of the Luofu Dynasty, which had been destroyed by many of his ancestors, and murmured to himself.

Only after a squad leader came to report did Zuo Luo quickly blow his whistle to prepare.

The inauguration ceremony at the Dongshan Imperial Mausoleum is now drawing to a close, with both the signing negotiations and the song and dance performances coming to an end.

There's no banquet prepared for this kind of inauguration ceremony; everyone should leave by this time.

As the deputy captain of the special task force, Zuo Teng's immediate task was to maintain order and safety, and to ensure that everyone left the area in an orderly manner.

Are you not afraid of losing it?

Occasionally, Zuo Teng would also recall the advice Zhang Xuezhou had given him.

"What are you not afraid to lose? Life, position, rank, friends, father?"

He undoubtedly had many things he feared losing, and these things were Zuo Teng, making them increasingly difficult for him to control.

Despite seemingly living a glamorous and high-ranking life, Zuo Teng knew his future was uncertain.

He tried to distance himself from some people to prevent these former friends from getting caught up in the Zuo Household's vortex, but Zuo Teng found that his distancing didn't seem to change anything.

Everything he did seemed to be in vain.

Zuo Teng frowned. For the first time, he felt a lack of direction, which made him not only anxious but also lacking in wisdom.

Zhang Xuezhou seemed confident and his life was no different from before, but Zuo Teng felt as if his life had changed completely.

"I don't know how deeply Zhang Xuezhou is being controlled. Zuo Luo and Zuo Quan haven't given me a single word about this. What is his mindset when he's with me? And what should I be careful about when I'm with him?"

Zuo Teng took a deep breath.

He continuously directed and arranged for relevant personnel to maintain order and keep watch. After most of the personnel had entered the buses and cars, he glanced at the many aircraft flying away into the distance, and then quickly headed towards the office building of the Dongshan Imperial Mausoleum Management Office.