Biochemical Martial Arts: Supreme Heavenly Venerate

Fang Ranran was full of resentment toward Lin Rui for hiding his identity as the "Supreme." However, Lin Rui claimed he was innocent, having inexplicably become the leader of the Bright Holy Sect's Ninth Division. After all, this was a cult officially recognized by the government, not something to be proudly announced. The timing and manner of Fang Ranran's approach were abrupt, leaving him somewhat unsure how to respond. Although Lin Rui hesitated multiple times, he finally decided to trust Fang Ranran and invited her to meet him, based on that trust. Considering this, Fang Ranran thought it made sense; if she were Lin Rui, suddenly becoming the head of a cult, she would also act cautiously. Her anger subsided, leaving only surprise. Fang Ranran sat next to Lin Rui, sipping juice with a smile, "You should know why I'm reaching out to your sect, right? I want to go straight for it and run for Congress. Will you support me?" When Fang Ranran arrived, she was tense. If it was just a Heart of Light number 9, she believed she could convince him with her abilities and sincerity. But this "Supreme," whom she had no prior understanding of, neither his identity nor background, nor his personality or needs, Fang Ranran was prepared for setbacks. She hadn't expected the other party to be Lin Rui, which made things easier to discuss. Knowing that Lin Rui had chosen to meet her, Fang Ranran felt he was definitely prepared to support her, instantly relieving her stress accumulated over several days. "Support! Of course, I support you, senior sister," Lin Rui said with a wry smile as he drank his tea, "The problem is, there are at most three to four months until the elections, and we might not have enough time. According to number 9's calculations, the Bright Holy Sect can secure a maximum of 16 million votes, which might not be enough to get you elected. You do know what our sect might have to pay if you don't succeed?" He had asked Fang Ranran over to lay out the facts and learn what bargaining chips she held. Yet, Fang Ranran shook her head, "The truth is, there's no cost! I can arrange for your group to be registered as a legal sect before the elections start." Lin Rui uttered a 'hmm' at this, looking skeptically at Fang Ranran. Even the Heart of Light number 9, who was watching their conversation through video, exclaimed in surprise. "I've studied the doctrines of your division; you're different from other divisions of the Bright Holy Sect. There's no content about overthrowing the government, no deceiving or defrauding believers, and no harmful actions to society. You're even more legitimate than most so-called legal sects." Fang Ranran took another sip of her juice, "You've already split from the other divisions of the Bright Holy Sect, so why cling to the Bright Holy Sect name? Could you switch to 'Light King Sect' or 'Light God Sect'? If you had a legal identity, you'd likely achieve greater influence." Lin Rui squinted his eyes and then smiled, "Good idea!" It was indeed a great idea; many of the Bright Holy Sect's followers, along with their families, hesitated because of the cult tag. Number 9 secretly messaged him, "We can do this! I just did a rough calculation; if we could obtain a legal religious license, we could gain at least an additional 6 million followers and 5 million votes." "However, just your help alone really isn't enough. Initially, my grandfather wanted me to revive the Armament Department of Mingde University and secure the support of old alumni. But now, with the elections moved up by four years, his plan has fallen through." As Fang Ranran spoke, she waved her hand to pass some documents to Lin Rui, "But as they say, a blessing in disguise. The Urban Development Party is also in an awkward position due to the financial struggles stemming from the Jin Family and Linghu Family conflict." Indeed, the Linghu Family was also short of money. While the Jin Family suffered financially due to war, the Linghu Family wasn't faring much better either. The Alien Walkers of both families were currently locked in a fierce internal struggle on Sky Extreme Star, each targeting the other's business empire. Although Linghu Mingde held the home field advantage, the Jin Family benefitted from substantial rental properties in the Ninth Base City, ensuring a steady cash flow. However, Fang Ranran's companion here was also a major financial backer. She herself controlled substantial funds, and combined with Lin Rui, they matched half of the Jin Corporation. Lin Rui browsed through the documents, "You want to take over people from the Urban Development Party? Can you succeed?" "Politicians are like children; they favor the hand that feeds them. I've had private contacts with some people from the Urban Development Party. As long as I'm willing to provide campaign funds and a little private benefit, they would consider leaving their party to join the one I establish. Plus, with the Bright Holy Sect's 20 million votes as a bargaining chip, that should be enticing enough for them." Fang Ranran looked at Lin Rui with hopeful eyes, "They have a decent public foundation and a solid base. If the funds are sufficient, these people could bring in over 60 million votes. By then, we could secure one or two Congressional seats and over 15% of the seats in the City Council of the Ninth Base City, which would prompt the major parties in Congress to offer very favorable terms for appeasement. What do you think? Want to take a gamble with me?" Lin Rui thought since there's nothing to lose and only gains to be had, why not take the bet? Compared to Fang Ranran, Lin Rui was more optimistic. He was determined to capture the "Urban Construction Party," confident in securing the resources of the alumni of Mingde University. Lin Rui checked the schedule of the past Martial Arts Championships and guessed that the top 32 competition would start before the elections. The official election period would also last for two months. By then, the millions of alumni from Mingde University would probably be very enthusiastic. At that moment, Fang Ranran's expression shifted, carefully observing Lin Rui's face, "You know Lin Rui, you could give it a try. In today's 'entertained to death' era, just your face alone could get you 20 million votes." Three congressmen would be enough to support her in getting a seat on either the National Security Committee or the Budget Committee. Lin Rui couldn't help but smile wryly, feeling that Fang Ranran's comment was a bit far-fetched. His fans were willing to buy his products, not necessarily to cast their votes for him. Both in their late teens, Fang Ranran came from a political family, while Lin Rui had no such background. 20 million votes? Dream on! But trying it out wasn't harmful. When the time came, he would simply register, not campaign, seek no sponsors, organize no campaign activities, and not split the party votes. He would get as many votes as he could. Even if he didn't get elected himself, he could diminish the vote percentage of other candidates. Lin Rui shook his head and began discussing the details with Fang Ranran. Lin Rui indeed had a favor to ask of Fang Ranran. Mainly, it was about the three shell companies they hoped Fang Ranran could help purchase at a judicial auction, then change hands several times to launder them completely. Initially, Lin Rui had been recruited by the second General into the Security Bureau due to his unique status; since Lin Rui wasn't an agent trained by the Security Bureau, the second General allowed him an exemption under special provisions to engage in business, provided he did not leverage his official power for profit. This affair was clearly in violation, hence the need for multiple transactions. Fang Ranran's extensive connections and her grandfather's resources could make this operation tracesless. The two discussed secretly in the Mountain and Sea Temple private room until evening before parting ways. Fang Ranran, in high spirits, drove home in her new "Luo Shen 888" super wing supercar recently bought by Jin Tianchen. Meanwhile, Lin Rui settled into the passenger seat of the "Shen Yi 520" super-wing supercar, a gift from Fang Ranran. Wang Tianwu, seating in the driver's seat, asked without expression, "Boss, where to next? Back to Mingde University?" He internally remarked that a dignified Super Emperor of Eight Realms, a retired two-star General, had sadly been reduced to mere chauffeur duty. "We're taking this supercar back to the university, but we're not going." As Lin Rui spoke, he fetched two bags from the back seat and tossed one to Wang Tianwu, "Recently the security level of Ninth Base City has declined, and the media's focus has shifted, so now you have to join me on a dark job." Wang Tianwu looked puzzled, "What dark job?" The security around the city had indeed diminished; the streets that used to have two to three police cars on permanent station now had none. But what did that have to do with them? Moments later, Wang Tianwu noticed Lin Rui donning a visibly repaired set of exoskeleton armor while humming "I am a piece of seaweed, seaweed." It took Wang Tianwu a moment to realize, and his steering wheel accidentally swerved. If not for the car's AI intervention, their car would have almost crashed into a nearby building. Wang Tianwu thought to himself, "Damn," his boss was actually that Children's Song Killer!