Time came to the second day.
Another 30,000-plus Faith Power arrived in the account.
"Very good." Respected Lord Shen Mu was quite satisfied with this, especially looking at the Blue Star Humans who had spontaneously gathered and were waiting in front of his Noble Residence for ennoblement.
His mood was even more pleasant.
After all, for him, as long as these Blue Star Humans were ennobled by him, the Faith Power obtained would increase, eventually reaching a critical point. After deducting the cost of ennobling them, the rest would be pure profit.
And at this moment, in the reception hall of the Noble Residence.
Zhang Caidong, Sun Zhiru, and the senior managers, along with 10 middle-level managers, came before him.
"Lord, these 10 middle-level managers are the ones to be ennobled this time." Zhang Caidong reported at this time, with a smile on his face, showing no signs of dejection or anger, only a professional demeanor.
However, the senior managers next to him looked at these 10 middle-level managers with very displeased expressions, and their eyes were filled with anger.
Because these 10 middle-level managers were actually their subordinates.
They didn't expect that while they were only taking Human Race Followers to level up, these middle-level subordinates would bypass them and directly connect with Respected Lord Shen Mu. This was equivalent to a backstab.
How could these senior managers be convinced?
How could they be happy?
Of course, even these middle-level managers understood at this time that because they were too excited and forgot to discuss with these senior managers, or rather, they deliberately forgot to discuss with these senior managers, their faces were not good now.
Because yesterday, they had been verbally ridiculed by these senior managers for a long time, and they also understood that even if they became Spiritual Realm Followers, they would still have to work under the management of these senior managers.
Silently contacting Respected Lord Shen Mu was not a wise choice.
However, seeing that Respected Lord Shen Mu clearly intended to ennoble them as Spiritual Realm Followers, just like their senior manager bosses, their hearts were also quite excited.
As long as they had power, as long as they had these Spiritual Realm Followers, and stood on the same starting line as their bosses, even if they suffered some humiliation now, when they rose in position later, the situation would be different.
They all understood that Deherim was just established, and everyone had unlimited possibilities. As long as they ran a little faster, they could catch up with those ahead.
And as long as they caught up with those ahead, it meant they would also become senior managers.
At that time, why would they still accept the management of these senior managers who disliked them so much? Then, when they also became senior managers, perhaps these senior managers would fall due to their own mistakes, and then they would have to obey their orders instead.
Therefore, although these middle-level managers all had very serious expressions on their faces, their hearts were still quite excited.
"Alright, let's begin the ennoblement then."
Respected Lord Shen Mu naturally didn't know about their internal conflicts, or rather, he didn't care about the conflicts between these people. After all, these Blue Star Humans didn't know that even if they were ennobled, they were not Spiritual Realm Commanders whose souls were bound to these Followers.
In fact, these Mount & Blade Soldiers, the Human Race Followers in their eyes, were still completely loyal to Respected Lord Shen Mu.
They would never betray Respected Lord Shen Mu.
The so-called ennoblement, the so-called making these middle-level managers, these Blue Star Humans, Spiritual Realm Commanders, was only because ennobling them as Ten-Man Commanders made them superior commanders to these mount & blade Commoners, and thus they would obey their orders.
But if there was a higher-level commander, such as Respected Lord Shen Mu, who had the highest authority, issued a prohibition, then these ennobled Ten-Man Commanders would simply not be able to continue commanding these Mount & Blade Soldiers.
Which means the command authority would return to Respected Lord Shen Mu's hands.
Therefore, Respected Lord Shen Mu didn't care about the loyalty of these Blue Star Humans. Respected Lord Shen Mu only cared whether these Blue Star Humans could lead these Mount & Blade Soldiers to provide him with more Faith Power.
Faith Power was what Respected Lord Shen Mu cared about most.
He didn't care about so-called loyalty or allegiance. As long as he had these Mount & Blade Soldiers, he had his basic support. He didn't care in the slightest about the inner thoughts of these Blue Star Humans towards him.
So, after ennobling these 10 contact humans, Respected Lord Shen Mu waved his hand and said to these Ten-Man Commanders, who were still feeling everything was new: "Alright, now you are Ten-Man Commanders in Deherim, which means Spiritual Realm Commanders. You already have the ability to lead soldiers independently in battle. Next, I will arrange 10 more Farmers to follow you. These Farmers are good lads who can grow into soldiers. You must lead them in battle to accumulate experience, and then come to me for upgrades. Do you understand?"
"Understood, Respected Lord Shen Mu." These middle-level managers were all very excited, nodding repeatedly. At this time, they had already changed into clothes from the Mount & Blade World, and also weapons from the Mount & Blade World.
Although they were just ordinary wooden sticks or spiked clubs, and sickles, etc., looking like Farmers.
But they could feel the power of rules within these clothes and weapons, and they also had the power of rules within their own bodies.
And before this, only those Blue Star Humans who had inherited the spiritual realm mark and become Spiritual Realm Commanders could possess such power. But now, simply because Respected Lord Shen Mu ennobled them, they possessed this power. Didn't this mean they had also become Spiritual Realm Commanders?
Therefore, these middle-level managers were truly very excited.
"Hmph!" However, the senior managers next to them were all squinting at these 10 middle-level managers, and at the same time, they thought of the even more middle-level managers outside who had already united to sideline them, independently submitting lists and currying favor with Respected Lord Shen Mu. Their hearts were even more enraged.
After all, for them, these lists should have been submitted by them to Respected Lord Shen Mu. They didn't expect these middle-level managers to replace them and submit these lists.
This was a challenge to their authority.
The lists certainly had to be submitted, but who would submit them, who would organize and compile these lists, and who would recommend the personnel to be ennobled as Ten-Man Commanders before Respected Lord Shen Mu, were all the tasks of these senior managers, and had nothing to do with these middle-level managers.
But now, these middle-level managers had completed this task themselves. Then what were these senior managers for?
This was sidelining, this was a challenge to their authority, and this was why these senior managers had to severely suppress these middle-level managers.
If they didn't severely suppress these middle-level managers, if they didn't forcefully crush those who took the lead, those who stood out, and those troublemakers among the middle-level managers, then the middle-level managers would completely ignore their orders, completely sideline them, and completely make them castles in the air, disconnected from reality and without actual power.
This was something these senior managers absolutely would not allow to happen.
So, looking at these middle-level managers who were secretly excited, they were exactly like that, not consulting with them at all, belonging to the type who took the lead and stood out. The hearts of these senior managers were extremely angry, and as they rejoiced, these senior managers also exchanged glances, seeing the anger and frustration in each other's eyes, and then each nodded slightly, reaching a consensus with extreme tacit understanding.
That was, they absolutely could not let these middle-level managers, these 10 people, have an easy time. They must severely suppress them, absolutely suppress their ability to rise further, and make them very miserable, even causing one or two of them to die in some accident. This would be the best choice to kill a chicken to scare the monkeys.
Otherwise, if the middle-level managers and the lower-level managers below saw that these senior managers had no ability or means to suppress those below who wanted to climb up and betray their managers, they would definitely become increasingly disloyal and completely bid them farewell.
Therefore, in order to deter these Blue Star Humans and maintain their authority, these senior managers had to target these middle-level managers, at least to let others know what the consequences of offending them were.
In the future, if there was anything, they must report to them, otherwise, they would also mercilessly use thunderous methods to crack down on these heretics.
Moreover, all these senior managers had reached a tacit understanding.
However, inside, Zhang Caidong didn't care too much. He merely watched the internal struggle between these senior managers and middle-level managers, and felt somewhat amused in his heart.
Corrected version being read! First published novel.
Because he had understood, through some of Zhang Bo's statements to him, where he should be and what he should do.
That was to conscientiously complete his own duties, and then watch these senior managers and middle-level managers engage in internal strife. And he himself would win over these senior managers and some obedient middle-level managers, while Zhang Bo would secretly win over the remaining rebellious and suppressed middle-level managers.
Then, these suppressed middle-level managers would be brought over to Zhang Caidong's side.
In this way, the senior managers would engage in internal struggle, the middle-level managers would be suppressed, and he, Zhang Caidong, would be high up in the position of the highest authority, the number one person.
Yet, he would oversee the entire situation, with everything under his control.
"Indeed, Bo Ge is good to me. This way, I have no obvious threats. It's all these senior managers and middle-level managers fighting among themselves. If it's investigated, it has nothing to do with me. And because their struggle is intense, it makes me look like I'm diligently working, leaving a good impression." A smile appeared at the corner of Zhang Caidong's mouth, and he glanced at Sun Zhiru and his three companions next to him.
A few more emotions welled up in his heart. Now, the four of them were the only ones not participating in the internal struggle, especially Sun Zhiru, his deputy and the second-in-command of the entire Blue Star Human management, who was also quietly by his side, not getting involved in anything, which reassured him.
Of course, this reassurance was relative, because he understood that the four of them couldn't stir up any trouble, so they could only depend on him and dared not participate in the internal struggle.
Instead, he became a very strong supporter of Zhang Caidong.
This way, it could also show that Zhang Caidong only associated with people who worked diligently and did not, like others involved in internal strife, eagerly pursue fame and gain.
This could leave a better impression on Respected Lord Shen Mu.
After all, it was easy to understand.
Sun Zhiru was the second-in-command arranged by Zhang Caidong, so behind the scenes, he definitely represented a certain monitoring role. If he got along well with them, then there would be no problems reported to Respected Lord Shen Mu, and his position as the number one would be quite stable.
And as long as he could ensure the stability of his position as the number one, he could control the entire situation, after all, whether it was these senior managers, or Zhang Bo, and the middle-level managers, they were all quite convinced by him.
And while Zhang Caidong was thinking, the middle-level managers, having been ennobled, left the meeting room, leaving only the senior managers.
As senior managers, they were still qualified to remain in Respected Lord Shen Mu's meeting hall for discussion.
"Next, I hope everyone can continue to diligently urge the Blue Star Humans to pray well and obtain more spiritual energy." Respected Lord Shen Mu continued to urge them, asking them to pay attention to ensure that the supply of Faith Power would not encounter too many twists and turns.
"Understood, Respected Lord Shen Mu, we will also do our best to make all Blue Star Humans contribute their spiritual energy to Deherim." These senior managers naturally had no objections and readily agreed.
"Very good, this is also why I trust you." Respected Lord Shen Mu asked some questions about the living conditions and emotional fluctuations of the Blue Star Humans, and only after confirming there were no issues did he wave his hand to dismiss them.
After these senior managers left, Respected Lord Shen Mu didn't stop. Instead, he spoke to the attendant beside him again: "Gather 50 Holy Tree Knights and follow me."
"Understood, I will arrange it now." The Swadian Light Infantry, as an attendant, immediately nodded in response, then quickly left to convey Respected Lord Shen Mu's order.
Soon, outside the Noble Residence, 50 Holy Tree Knights had already lined up, respectfully awaiting Respected Lord Shen Mu.
At the entrance, a Holy Tree Knight was personally holding Respected Lord Shen Mu's Holy Tree Heavy Steed, waiting there.
"Lord, this is your horse." Seeing Respected Lord Shen Mu come out, he quickly walked over and handed him the reins.
"Mm, very good, let's go." Respected Lord Shen Mu mounted his horse, then shook the reins and led these 50 Holy Tree Knights, heading towards the west city gate.
He was going to the former site of the Diesel Company to build a new castle. (End of this chapter)