Chapter 2602 A Tactical Retreat

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Song Yi spoke with genuine sincerity, his facial expression perfectly matching... As soon as he finished speaking, he immediately sat down, leisurely picked up a cup of tea, and sipped it casually.

As for the reactions of the people around him, he seemed not to care at all…

"What?"

Almost everyone was completely stunned upon hearing this, looking stupidly at Song Yi's calm expression, unable to imagine that such a thing actually happened in front of so many people.

"He actually gave up..."

"Is that possible?"

"Is there some conspiracy?"

"But... it doesn't make sense!"

As a result, various comments and speculations emerged, all filled with curiosity and surprise... Just as they said, Song Yi seemed to have no reason to do this, yet they couldn't figure out what kind of conspiracy such a choice might entail.

Currently, The Green Gang's power is divided into three, with Song Yi, Peng Yue, and Deng Hu each controlling a faction, but they are merely Elders in power, not the Gang Leader... Strictly speaking, their rise to power is not legitimate.

Only by ascending to the Gang Leader's position can one legitimately command The Green Gang's forces.

However, such an opportunity is almost right in front of them, just a one-in-three chance, which should be considered a significant opportunity for ascension...

But, this voluntary withdrawal means the opportunity is completely lost...

So, Song Yi's words left everyone stunned, especially Peng Yue and Deng Hu, whose expressions were also slightly bewildered, their eyes contracting, and their brows furrowing as they began to ponder this matter.

Song Yi definitely did not make such a choice for no reason, and his explanation was utterly nonsensical... If he really didn't want to ascend, he could have peacefully remained an Elder instead of gathering a force strong enough to oppose Peng Yue and Deng Hu!

Yet, while they understood this, they couldn't figure out Song Yi's purpose in doing so.

"Could it be... he wants Deng Hu and me to fight like tigers, and then he can reap the benefits?"

Peng Yue couldn't help but mutter to himself, and thinking it over, this seemed like the only plausible explanation.

The three of them each control a faction, and even if someone succeeds in ascending, the other two forces remain difficult to command... At most, they gain the Qingyi Guard as leverage, but must always be on guard against the counterattacks of the other two factions.

In this case, it seems that no one gets any real advantage...

But if Song Yi voluntarily exits, then the position of Gang Leader can only be between Peng Yue and Deng Hu... It's truly a fight between two tigers, and whoever lasts till the end can ascend to that position.

However, Peng Yue and Deng Hu are evenly matched in strength, and if they truly fight it out, both will surely be weakened significantly, and at that point, Song Yi, whose strength remains almost intact, can swoop in, and defeating Peng Yue and Deng Hu's remnants would be no problem, and even eliminating both sides might not be impossible.

As for accusations of breaking promises or betraying alliances, those are just jokes.

As the saying goes, 'The victor writes history'...

By then, with Song Yi's control over The Green Gang's most powerful faction, who would dare oppose him?

"Retreat to advance! What a devious tactic..."

Peng Yue also believed he had figured out Song Yi's plan, glaring fiercely at Song Yi, but unfortunately, Song Yi paid them no further attention, leisurely enjoying his tea, occasionally murmuring a few words to Qin Fang behind him.

"I will also withdraw..."

At that moment, Deng Hu, who had remained silent for a long time, suddenly declared loudly.

"Although I have the fortune to become an Elder of The Green Gang, my experience is still shallow, and even if I ascend to the Gang Leader's throne, it would be challenging to gain everyone's support... Therefore, I agree with Elder Song's reasoning and will continue as an Elder, contributing to The Green Gang's cause!"

Wow~~

If Song Yi's exit had already caused a huge wave, then Deng Hu's withdrawal instantly pushed this Green Gang meeting to an incredibly bizarre climax... Everyone in the hall was dumbfounded, and the whispering quickly rose to a loud discussion.

The events had taken some by surprise, completely deviating from the intended script...

Standing at the door, Pei Yi's expression turned somewhat eerie, his lowered head hiding his eyes, but Qin Fang noticed a strange murderous intent emanating from him!

"Ugh..."

As the host, Elder Yang was equally uncomfortable with the situation, staring in shock at Song Yi and Deng Hu... Within The Green Gang, two out of the three factions had chosen to withdraw, leaving only Peng Yue.

Is Peng Yue going to ascend to the top so easily?

Not only did shadows emerge in Elder Yang's heart, but even the elders who seemingly didn't care about the Gang Leader selection were taken aback, their eyes flickering, occasionally glancing at certain individuals...

Qin Fang was sitting behind Song Yi, in a seemingly conspicuous spot, but in reality, Song Yi attracted most of the attention, allowing Qin Fang to observe the people leisurely and also discover some anomalies.

"Since Elder Song Yi and Elder Deng Hu have withdrawn from the candidates, are there any other nominations?"

After a long moment of pause, Elder Yang finally spoke, unhurriedly.

While speaking, his eyes swept over certain people, seeming to communicate secretly... He also glanced at Pei Yi, who appeared to be overlooked.

However, Qin Fang noticed Pei Yi made a very subtle motion, seemingly denying someone's plan, calming Elder Yang slightly, who then said, "If there are no other candidates, Peng Yue, Elder Peng, will be the sole candidate, and he will become the new Gang Leader of The Green Gang..."

Peng Yue's eyes lingered on Song Yi and Deng Hu, but the two seemed to have truly given up on the Gang Leader election, completely indifferent to what Elder Yang was saying, as if utterly dejected... Despite Peng Yue's disbelief in this reality.

As Elder Yang began announcing the result, Peng Yue's heart was pounding fiercely, victory seemed within reach, and the distant throne felt almost attainable...

"Wait..."

At this moment, Song Yi put down his teacup and suddenly spoke.

"Does Elder Song have anything to say?"

With Song Yi speaking, Elder Yang's eyes flickered with a hint of color, immediately inquiring with a slight urgency in his tone, exposing his true inner feelings.

At least Peng Yue's expression changed slightly, giving Elder Yang a somewhat gloomy look...

Elder Yang and the others were once heroes of The Green Gang; generally, Peng Yue would show them respect, but they only had some influence left, with no power, and if they annoyed him, Peng Yue would definitely retaliate.

With just one sentence, Peng Yue seemed to harbor killing intent...

"Being in a high position, Elder Peng as the Gang Leader is agreeable to me, but I suddenly thought of a more suitable candidate, and I'd like to propose them here!"

Song Yi had never feared Peng Yue, and now even more so, speaking slowly.

"Whom does Elder Song wish to recommend?"

Elder Yang, an experienced figure in the Martial World, sensed Peng Yue's dissatisfaction, but with events already unfolding, he had no choice but to proceed... From the moment they promised to rise, they were destined not to be allies with Peng Yue.

Now hearing Song Yi's intent to propose a candidate, his interest was piqued...

Others shared the same thought, believing Song Yi was merely feigning a move, aiming to push a puppet forward to seize power while directing from behind the scenes... Success would be immensely gratifying, but even failure would irritate Peng Yue without any loss.

"Pei Yi, Elder Pei..."

Song Yi spoke slowly, his gaze shifting to the door.

"Ugh..."

Upon hearing the name, almost everyone was stunned, simultaneously uttering a similar sound... showing their astonishment.

Of course, everyone's surprise varied.

Song Yi and Qin Fang reacted by remaining distant...

Peng Yue, Deng Hu, and those behind them were taken aback by Song Yi's move, especially surprised by Pei Yi's nomination, considering they pondered every one of Song Yi's associates except Pei Yi.

Elder Yang and the elders were equally surprised, though they might have thought of it privately, hearing it from Song Yi instilled a nauseating feeling, with their gazes moving to Pei Yi, faintly sensing they were being played.

As for Pei Yi himself...

He was utterly dumbfounded by the sudden change, his eyes glazed over, his mind muddled, not anticipating this at all... rendering his expression at the door stiff. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please visit Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendation and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)