Urban Seduction: Housewives Club

Chapter 588: An Unexpected Election

When Ye Zhilin stepped forward, the crowd fell silent. Despite her seemingly harmless appearance, her extraordinary skills and fearless demeanor had earned her a certain level of respect and awe. Everyone was curious to hear who she would nominate.

Tang Minghao, grateful that Ye Zhilin had stepped in to quell the chaos, politely asked, ”Miss Ye, who is the candidate you wish to propose?”

Seeing Ye Zhilin jump onto the stage, Ye Fei immediately knew she was going to push for him to become the alliance leader. He sighed inwardly and glanced at his mother, Liu Yiru, who gave him a knowing smile and a nod.

Ye Fei didnʼt particularly care about the position of alliance leader, but since his mother didnʼt seem opposed, he decided not to stop Ye Zhilin. He turned his attention back to the stage, waiting to hear what she would say.

Sure enough, after Tang Minghaoʼs question, Ye Zhilin pointed her slender, jade-like finger in Ye Feiʼs direction and declared, ”Him. Ye Fei from the Liu family of Wanghai.”

”Ye Fei?” Tang Minghao frowned slightly. His only impression of this young man was that he was bold and perhaps a bit too flirtatious, given the number of beautiful women around him. Even his daughter, Tang Xin, and her maid, Tang Yu, seemed entangled with him.

Beyond that, Tang Minghao knew nothing about Ye Feiʼs martial prowess. Although Bai Yingshi had once claimed she wasnʼt his match, Tang Minghao, like everyone else, assumed that was just an excuse to avoid helping Lu Feng.

”Yes, him,” Ye Zhilin said with a smile. ”Surely you agree heʼs a suitable candidate, Tang Daxia?”

”Well…” Tang Minghao hesitated. To be honest, he wasnʼt convinced about this young man whose background and abilities were unknown. But he wasnʼt foolish enough to outright reject Ye Zhilinʼs suggestion, knowing it might offend this unpredictable and formidable girl.

Seeing Tang Minghaoʼs hesitation, Ye Zhilinʼs expression darkened.

”Do you think Ye Fei isnʼt qualified?”

Tang Minghao felt a chill. He had witnessed Ye Zhilinʼs forceful personality before. While his daughter and Tang Yu seemed to be on good terms with her, there was no guarantee she wouldnʼt turn hostile. He quickly replied, ”No, no. Young Master Ye is undoubtedly talented and qualified. However, heʼs still quite young, and some might not accept him.” With this, the crafty old fox shifted the responsibility to the crowd.

Down below, Ye Fei chuckled softly. ”This Tang Daxia is quite clever. By saying this, he avoids offending Little Auntie while also preventing me from taking the position. His cunning is on par with that of the late Zhuge Kongfang.”

Though Ye Feiʼs words carried a hint of sarcasm, Tang Xin surprisingly didnʼt retort this time. She felt her fatherʼs behavior was somewhat unbecoming. If he truly opposed Ye Fei, he should have said so directly. Ye Fei wasnʼt the type to take offense at honest criticism.

As Tang Xin silently blushed for her father, she didnʼt realize that her heart had gradually begun to lean toward Ye Fei, her once bitter rival.

”Ye Fei, donʼt say that. Master Tang has always been a righteous man. Heʼs nothing like Zhuge Kongfang,” Tang Yu interjected. Though still shy and reserved, she had started to voice her opinions more often since getting closer to Ye Fei.

Ye Fei smiled. ”I understand. Itʼs not his fault. Heʼs unfamiliar with Zhilin, so itʼs natural for him to be cautious. As the head of a family, he canʼt afford to act impulsively. If I were in his position, Iʼd probably say the same. And to outsiders, I do seem unqualified. Under Little Auntieʼs pressure, Tang Daxia sticking to his principles is quite admirable.”

”Thank you, Ye Fei!” Tang Yu said happily. Tang Minghao was someone she deeply respected. Having grown up in the Tang Sect without parents, she had come to see him as a father figure.

Hearing Ye Fei defend her father, Tang Xin felt an inexplicable sweetness in her heart. She turned to look at Ye Fei and suddenly found him less annoying than before.

While the Tang sisters were pleased, Ye Zhilin on the stage was far from happy. She wasnʼt nominating Ye Fei out of mischief or favoritism. She genuinely believed he was qualified. Regardless of his martial skills, his leadership abilities—evidenced by his management of the 100,000-strong Lingyun Society—were more than sufficient to lead the less than 20,000 martial artists of the hidden world.

”Havenʼt you heard the saying that greatness isnʼt determined by age?” Ye Zhilinʼs expression turned stern as she fixed her sharp gaze on Tang Minghao.

Feeling uneasy under Ye Zhilinʼs intense stare, Tang Minghao forced a bitter smile. He had hoped to avoid offending her by shifting the responsibility to the crowd, but it seemed he had failed. Reluctantly, he said, ”Of course, Iʼm aware of that saying. But Young Master Ye is still new to the martial world. Without an established reputation, it might be hard for him to gain everyoneʼs trust as the alliance leader.”

Tang Minghao braced himself for Ye Zhilinʼs anger, but to his surprise, she didnʼt lash out. Instead, she turned to the crowd and said, ”Is that what you all think? If so, I feel sorry for you. Youʼre just like the mundane world, valuing seniority over ability. Ye Fei, as the leader of the Lingyun Society, has managed a massive organization of nearly 100,000 people with ease. How could he not handle the duties of an alliance leader? As for fairness and kindness—if he didnʼt possess those qualities, how could he have earned the loyalty of his 100,000 followers, despite being less than twenty years old?”

Ye Zhilinʼs speech stunned Ye Fei and the others. They had never expected the usually mischievous and carefree Ye Zhilin to speak so eloquently and convincingly on such an important occasion. If they hadnʼt personally witnessed her awakening by Ye Fei, they might have thought she had been specially trained for this role. The only explanation was that she had a natural talent for leadership that had gone unnoticed until now.

Ye Fei thought to himself that Ye Zhilin would make an excellent alliance leader. With his responsibilities piling up, he wouldnʼt have the time to manage the martial world even if he became the leader. If Ye Zhilin took the position, it would be no different from him holding it.

Together with his aunt, who controlled the special forces, they would command the two most powerful groups in the country. Even without his artificial experts, he would still be a formidable force.

The idea of Ye Zhilin as the alliance leader wasnʼt just in Ye Feiʼs mind. Most of the crowd shared the same thought.

Compared to the enigmatic Ye Fei, they held greater respect for Ye Zhilin, who had already proven her strength by taking down the arrogant Lu Feng. From a corner of the crowd, a voice suddenly shouted, ”Miss Ye, why donʼt you be the alliance leader?”

Before anyone could react, the entire group from that corner joined in, chanting, ”Miss Ye for alliance leader!” The chorus of dozens of voices created quite a stir.

Though these individuals werenʼt particularly influential, their enthusiasm quickly spread. Ye Zhilinʼs impressive skills and her earlier act of standing up to Lu Feng had earned her the crowdʼs gratitude. Soon, over 900 of the 1,000 people in the valley were chanting her name, making her the overwhelming favorite for the position.