Modern Cultivation : The Strongest Couple Bonded by Vampire System-Chapter 694: Vote

"That's why we will raise it," Alex said. "Medical, logistics, fabrication, security. People who can be certified fast."

Mingyue frowned. "Certified by who?"

"By the system," Alex said. "By unions, by academies, by corporate boards. Whoever holds the permit."

Kael's fingers tapped the armrest. "So you want me to make these new immigrants licensed professionals?"

Alex nodded. "Exactly. Don't worry. I'll make sure their skills are on par. What you need to do is push so they get fair judgment."

Despite the Empire's focus on talent and personal skill, on a private planet like this, corruption and nepotism were common.

For good positions, locals would block outsiders from getting permits, or make the process harder on purpose so they could keep a monopoly over the industry.

Alex opened another window.

A web of institutions lit up across the projection.

Unions.

Guilds.

Academies.

Corporate registries.

Military.

"These are the main pillars of Proxima Centauri," Alex said. "The factions we need support from."

"If we can place our people inside them, we can slowly take them over. In no time, we will gain real control over the planet."

"Remember, we don't just need you to win. We need you to have actual control. A puppet governor is not our goal."

Kael's eyes narrowed. "You really think you can raise all those people to be certified within a year?"

He shook his head.

"No. Not a year. You only have three months."

"The certification process and paperwork will take another three months."

"Then they'll have six months to establish their positions."

"Don't worry," Alex said. "I know. It takes time before their positions count toward their weight."

It was a system made to reduce cheating, so people couldn't inflate vote weight by handing out titles with no qualifications.

Even corrupt officials still needed minimum skill requirements.

The Empire was strict about that.

No matter how good your background was, if you couldn't pass the minimum level, you could forget about getting that position.

Some still tried, but it never lasted long. Their lack of skill showed up quickly.

And the punishment afterward made it not worth it.

Kael's eyes stayed sharp. "How will you do that? Make them experts in such a short time?"

Kael was afraid Alex would use some kind of dragon drug.

Even though cultivation methods and technology had advanced, learning still required finesse.

Everyone was different.

If it was like pouring water into a container, some people were born with a bathtub, while others only had a bowl.

Forcing too much information in too fast would crack the container.

There were ways to improve that, like rare elixirs, but the cost wasn't cheap.

And the skill bar on Proxima was so high that a genius from a C-grade planet would barely meet the minimum here.

"The best elixir I know has to be consumed from the womb," Kael said. "Anything usable on adults is extremely expensive."

It wasn't that Kael couldn't afford it, but buying a dozen was different from buying billions.

"Don't worry," Alex said. "I'll handle the elixir. This method is doable for many people, but the cost makes them hesitate."

"Even if the Empire finds out, they'll just be happy we improved the quality of their citizens."

Kael frowned, gaze narrowing at Alex. "Saryx's deal is still the same, right? I know his goal, but spending this much just for an opportunity…"

Alex chuckled. "Saryx will keep his promise. Don't you know how prideful dragons are? Their pride won't allow them to break their word."

Kael nodded. "In that case, I'll leave it to you."

Alex leaned back slightly. "Now tell me. Which royal family faction is backing you? I heard about the pandemic incident. There's no way it happened naturally."

The Covid-99 Pandemic.

A lethal virus that didn't even spare cultivators.

Any realm below Immortal could be killed by it.

Normal people couldn't research something like that.

And to the Empire, ordinary Immortals were too weak to matter.

They were nothing more than foot soldiers in the wider universe.

The virus also spread in a very specific way.

It stayed around rural zones, and conveniently massacred only certain groups.

At first, infected people felt like they had the flu.

Then it worsened.

Their qi circulation became erratic. Even their souls reacted strangely.

At the terminal stage, the soul would crumble, leaking life force until nothing remained.

"It's related to the Veyne family and their situation in the capital," Kael said. "They've had conflict for generations because of patriarch rivalry."

"I can't tell you more," Kael added. "But I think you'll meet them soon. They also sent a representative here to help me get elected."

"What do they want?" Alex asked.

No one backed someone for free.

Just like Alex wanted Kael's help to assassinate the Emperor, the other party would also want something.

"They want me to remove all Veyne influence and control on this planet," Kael said.

"I see."

As an A-grade planet, Proxima provided a huge amount of income and resources.

If Kael cut Veyne off here, it would cripple their supply, giving their enemies an edge in the capital.

"Do they have another plan?" Alex asked.

"They haven't told me anything since I said I had another backer from a different faction," Kael said.

Alex's gaze narrowed. "You didn't tell them it's the Dragon Federation, right?"

Kael smiled. "It's not a secret that other factions are involved in Empire politics. As long as it doesn't touch their bottom line, they close their eyes."

'Bottom line?' Mingyue, listening on the side while watching the passing scenery, felt it was absurd.

What kind of bottom line was that, if even planning to assassinate the Emperor didn't count?

Alex only smiled and nodded without saying anything.

'Seems after beating the Empire, the Emperor has grown overconfident.'

He had a different thought from Mingyue.

They allowed it because they were confident nothing would happen to them.

Below, the land changed.

Forest and farmland were cut into clean blocks. Roads ran straight for kilometers.

At the center, towers rose like spears. Gold formation circled them in slowly.

A pale barrier covered the whole capital, layered like overlapping shells.

Kael looked out the window, then tapped the console. "We've arrived."