“Brother Cai Dong, I’m also doing this for Deherim and for Lord Shen Mu, aren’t I?” Zhou Mo slowly spoke, a smile still on his face, looking at Zhang Caidong before him. He then gently lowered his head: “After all, if I do well, Brother Cai Dong, you’ll also gain face, won’t you?”
This already indicated that Zhou Mo was now backing down. After all, just like why Zhang Caidong and Zhang Bo had confidence earlier, although Zhou Mo was now chosen as their leader by those senior managers, he truly held no official position under Shen Mu.
Of course, he did have his own managed areas, but he did not have the titles of General Manager or Deputy General Manager.
If something really happened, he wouldn't be able to speak in front of Shen Mu at all.
It could even be said that Shen Mu didn't know Zhou Mo at all; the only Blue Star Humans he knew were Zhang Caidong, Sun Zhiru, and Zhang Bo.
This was also why Zhou Mo chose to lower his head now.
He couldn't really let a conflict arise, could he? If a conflict did arise and he couldn't resolve it, that would be truly embarrassing.
At that point, all the prestige he had painstakingly accumulated and the recognition from other senior managers would be gone.
So, Zhou Mo was truly very careful and cautious.
“It seems my brother Zhou Mo today really wants a good glass of mead.” Zhang Caidong also understood Zhou Mo’s meaning.
A smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.
Although he seemed to have been sidelined now, as if he were a lone wolf, Zhang Caidong didn't care in the slightest. After all, he appeared to be sidelined, but in reality, he still possessed more power.
Just like the source of his confidence earlier, as long as he had Shen Mu's support, he could gain more friends to support him through his position as General Manager.
Even for Zhang Caidong, not all of the senior managers around Zhou Mo fully supported Zhou Mo; many supported Zhou Mo while also supporting him.
Even if many people didn't say it outright, Zhang Caidong still knew that even in his current state, he had some friends within the senior managers' circle.
Moreover, previously, the middle-level managers had always been controlled by Zhang Bo, and he hadn't fully managed them himself, so there was still room for maneuver. After all, while those middle-level managers challenged the authority of the senior managers, they didn't completely sideline them or seize their power.
Both sides were merely in a state of power competition, not yet at the point of struggle.
Then, these senior managers, out of a desire to nip the problem in the bud, killed all of these senior managers that night.
It was very sudden.
It also directly intimidated some senior managers; those more timid managers immediately contacted Zhang Caidong. After all, if Zhang Caidong pursued the matter and reported it to Lord Shen Mu, then some of them would surely be pushed out as scapegoats.
There was no other way; these middle-level managers were also managers and had already become Spiritual Realm Commanders. For Deherim, they were inherently a group of capable individuals, an important part of Deherim's future combat system for Blue Star Humans.
Then Zhou Mo ruthlessly decided to slaughter nearly forty to fifty middle-level commanders among the Blue Star Humans, leaving no room for mercy.
This made some senior managers uneasy.
Zhou Mo seemed a bit reckless.
And a bit merciless.
At the time, Zhou Mo and others had said they would deal with the leaders and absorb the rest, but unexpectedly, Zhou Mo went back on his word upon arrival and had all the middle-level managers killed directly.
This kind of crazy behavior was not approved by everyone.
If Shen Mu really investigated, what would they do?
Even with the excellent excuse of the Diesel Company remnants, this excuse simply wouldn't hold up.
Therefore, to be safe, they still contacted Zhang Caidong and rejoined him. At least, since they hadn't completely fallen out, both sides could maintain good communication. After all, some people also understood that they were in the latter ranks among the senior managers.
Now that Zhang Caidong no longer had those middle-level managers around, if they joined him, they might be able to move into the front ranks.
It was all for opportunism.
“Alright, Brother Zhang Caidong, of course I’d like to taste your mead. If Brother Zhang Caidong is willing to let me taste it, then I am very eager.” Zhou Mo also realized that the atmosphere was a bit strange at this moment.
So, he didn't say much, lowered his head again, and expressed his humility.
“Since everyone is here, don’t leave. Let’s all have some mead and eat something here.” Zhang Caidong saw that it was almost noon, and a faint smile appeared on his face. He didn't say much, just waved to them, and at the same time said to the Swadian Militia behind him: “Go prepare some food. I want to have a good chat with my brothers and friends.”
“Understood.” The Swadian Militia, of course, understood Zhang Caidong's meaning and quickly went to the dining hall to get food for Zhang Caidong and them.
Then, these Swadian Militia withdrew, and only these Blue Star Humans were left in the room.
“Next, Sun Zhiru, Zhang Bo, and I will go to Green Leaf Group for negotiations. This is a task directly assigned by Lord Shen Mu.” Zhang Caidong spoke first, also suggesting that everyone eat while chatting.
“What about us?” Zhou Mo, sitting opposite, was drinking the wooden porridge from his bowl with a spoon, and eating toasted bread slices that were crispy outside and tender inside. He said, “We senior managers don’t have much work right now, Brother Cai Dong, what do you think about arranging something for us?”
However, as he spoke, Zhou Mo also looked at Zhang Caidong and Zhang Bo: “Of course, if we could join the task of going to Green Leaf Group for peace talks, we would be very happy.”
This was an important task assigned by Lord Shen Mu, and it was also the first very formal task that Lord Shen Mu assigned to them, these Blue Star Humans, after they arrived in Deherim.
So Zhou Mo also wanted to join.
“Brother Zhou Mo, we have already selected our candidates, and you have an even more important task to complete.” Zhang Bo, however, politely declined Zhou Mo’s idea, directly saying to him: “After all, there are many remnants of the Diesel Company and Green Leaf Group spies in Deherim right now. We must find them; this is also a very important and significant task. Brother Zhang Caidong, Mr. Sun Zhiru, and I are going to the Noble Residence, and Lord Shen Mu also told us that if we cannot resolve the Diesel Company remnants and Green Leaf Group spies, Deherim will constantly face danger.”
This was not alarmist talk, especially after the Green Leaf Group's attack, Shen Mu's words regarding this arrangement were very serious.
Although Shen Mu still couldn't figure out why the Green Leaf Group suddenly appeared in the Castle District.
But he could also understand that if the Green Leaf Group could suddenly appear in the Castle District once, it was very likely to appear a second time.
So, he had to be careful.
Of course, these were all words Shen Mu said to Zhang Bo and Zhang Caidong; in reality, he naturally understood why Wood Elf troops would appear in his Castle District.
The reason was that Zhang Bo had previously requested to bring those sacred artifacts with special magical powers into the Castle District.
This was the requirement for the third phase of his temporary mission.
As long as he handed over the sacred artifacts to Zhang Bo for special modification to complete subsequent tasks and lay the groundwork for the key to the next task, he would receive rewards.
Of course, such a thing could never truly be spoken aloud.
Otherwise, if Zhang Bo discovered in advance that it was all an act, all a performance for him, it would certainly have a huge impact on Shen Mu's cycle of tasks, especially the crucial ninth round.
Shen Mu didn't want to fail at the last moment.
“I can’t participate?” Zhou Mo noticed Zhang Bo’s polite refusal, and his face instantly darkened: “Even if I go to Green Leaf Group to participate in the negotiation task, I think the other senior managers remaining in Deherim would still be capable of identifying those Diesel Company remnants and Green Leaf Group spies, right?”
“But if Mr. Zhou Mo goes, who will oversee the overall situation in Deherim?” Zhang Bo had no intention of letting Zhou Mo go.
Because he originally wanted to divide Zhou Mo and Zhang Caidong.
Why were they so confrontational, showing no mercy, while Zhang Caidong was speaking softly, appearing as if one was the 'red face' and the other the 'white face'? In reality, it was also because Zhang Bo had to further divide the Blue Star Humans in Deherim now, absolutely preventing them from uniting.
If they united and truly investigated, it would be dangerous for him if they discovered his previous arrangements, mistakes, and loopholes.
So, Zhang Bo was now acting as if he was considering Zhang Caidong, but was actually sowing discord between the two.
Of course, for these two factions, there was no need for further provocation; their relationship had already plummeted to a freezing point, only maintaining peace on the surface without completely falling out.
“Brother Zhou Mo.” Zhang Bo, of course, had no intention of completely falling out with Zhou Mo openly. Instead, he gently tapped the table and said to him: “All those middle-level managers being Diesel Company remnants is already exaggerated enough. Lord Shen Mu is quite furious and demands that we must investigate the Diesel Company remnants and Green Leaf Group spies. And as the key person who discovered that all those middle-level managers were Diesel Company remnants, I also praised you to Lord Shen Mu. Don’t you intend to thoroughly investigate the remaining Diesel Company remnants and Green Leaf Group spies?”
“Of course, since Master Zhang Bo has already said so, I have nothing more to say. That’s it.” Zhou Mo narrowed his eyes slightly, looked at Zhang Bo for a while, then slowly withdrew his gaze, lowered his head in thought for a moment, and gently nodded: “Regarding Master Zhang Bo’s praise of me to Lord Shen Mu based on my achievements, I express my gratitude, and I will work even more diligently.”
“I have indeed praised you, and Lord Shen Mu has also commended you. Keep up the good work.” Zhang Bo smiled.
However, there wasn’t much genuine warmth in that smile, as their transaction was known only to the two of them, and Zhang Bo’s words, though seemingly soft, were actually a threat.
Although Zhang Bo was the instigator and had secretly planned all of this, Zhang Bo was absolutely unaware of this, because Zhang Bo truly believed that he had ruthlessly slaughtered all those middle-level managers, and then Zhang Bo had held his nose and cleaned up his mess.
By calculation, Zhou Mo owed Zhang Bo a favor.
And it was quite a big favor.
If he, Zhou Mo, hadn't deceived Zhang Bo into agreeing to investigate the Green Leaf Group spies and Diesel Company remnants among those middle-level managers, he wouldn't have been able to slaughter all those middle-level managers so easily.
If it really came down to it, if Zhang Bo broke ties and reported it to Shen Mu, Zhou Mo would certainly not escape responsibility.
Therefore, Zhou Mo could only hold his nose and choose to yield to Zhang Bo at this moment.
“Alright, since everyone has agreed, let’s arrange the details.” Seeing that Zhang Bo had already dealt with Zhou Mo’s challenge, a smile appeared on Zhang Caidong’s lips, and his gaze towards Zhang Bo became increasingly benevolent.
Zhang Bo had solved everything for him; Zhang Caidong didn't even need to play the villain.
This was simply wonderful.
However, when he looked at Zhou Mo, Zhang Caidong’s eyes held a hint of gloom, especially when he thought of those middle-level managers, those loyalists, whom this guy had actually killed.
There was some anger in his heart.
It just hadn't been expressed.
But there was no need to express it now. Next, he needed to rebuild his forces, and this time he also intended to use his old tricks to make these senior managers understand that he hadn't acted against them before because he didn't want to, and truly considered them brothers. Now that the other party didn't want to treat him as a brother, he would no longer treat them as brothers either.
Zhou Mo had already come to his town residence like a forced abdication, triumphantly showing off, and although he seemed to have bowed his head, it was definitely only out of necessity due to the circumstances.
Zhang Caidong also didn't want to endure this insult.
