The woman's voice suddenly became loud and clear, echoing in every corner of the hall. The voice was powerful, seemingly possessing a kind of magic that could penetrate people's hearts and touch their deepest parts.
She introduced herself with great enthusiasm: "Let me introduce myself, I am 'Square Q'—Jin Rugo."
The man continued her sentence, concisely stating, "The Jack of Diamonds—Li Chengfeng."
Jin Rugo continued, "The results of this vote are in. To ensure fairness, Lao Li and I will announce them together. Regardless of the outcome, I hope you can get along well, be honest with each other, help each other, and work together to create a good living environment for our Block City."
Jia and Xu exchanged glances and smiled at each other in a seemingly friendly manner.
At the same time, Xu Zhi made eye contact with each of the voters present. In this contest, she was at least 80% confident of victory; the only variable was probably Qian Chuan.
Qian Chuan had his head down, seemingly lost in thought.
Considering the conditions he had offered, Xu Zhi believed they were already very generous, and that Jia Zuowei would definitely not offer him money. Xu Zhi breathed a slight sigh of relief.
She glanced at Jia Zuowei, who was still provoking the fake Xu, and sneered inwardly.
Jin Rugo glanced at the two who were still secretly competing below, and gently shook her head. "Old Jia, you'd better not touch things you shouldn't touch anymore. A gentle knife can take a life with every cut."
Xu Zhi glanced at Jia Zuowei, a mocking smile playing on his lips. His eyes were filled with disdain, as if he could already foresee his glorious victory.
Jin Rugo then turned to Xu Zhi, facing the fake Xu Zhi but looking at the real Xu Zhi, and said: "Little Xu, I also have a piece of advice for you: what is destined to be yours will be yours, and what is not destined to be yours, you cannot force."
Xu Zhi toned it down a bit, thinking to himself that he shouldn't be so flamboyant before the results were in.
After a passionate speech, Jin Rugo finally cleared her throat and announced the voting results:
Jia's status and Xu's status... will remain unchanged. Xu will not be allowed to apply for a status swap again within 10 years.
"Impossible! I can't lose!"
Xu Zhi's tone was filled with disbelief. She stood up abruptly, her emotions so intense it seemed to ignite the surrounding air. Her eyes were wide open, staring intently at Jin Rugo, as if searching for evidence to prove she hadn't failed.
All eyes turned to Xu Zhi. After she shouted that, even those who didn't know the truth before guessed her identity.
The fake Xu Zhi next to her was also startled by her reaction. He quickly tugged at Xu Zhi's sleeve, signaling her to calm down.
The woman then realized her lapse in composure and understood that her identity had been exposed.
Taking a deep breath, Xu Zhi tried to calm himself down.
She raised her head to meet everyone's gaze. "I request an appeal. I want to know how many votes were not cast for me."
She looked around, trying to find the culprit, but saw only innocent faces.
Everyone looked at her with innocent eyes, as if trying to prove that they weren't the ones who hadn't voted for her. This silent confrontation made Xu Zhi feel powerless, and the anger in her heart gradually rose.
Jia laughed gleefully. He looked at Xu Zhi mockingly, his voice filled with smugness: "So, 'Nine of Diamonds' Xu Zhi is you? I've learned something new. Hahahaha."
A weight was finally lifted from his shoulders. He put his arm around the beautiful woman beside him and leaned lazily against her, looking every bit the victor.
Jin Rugo spoke up at the opportune moment, her voice gentle yet tinged with coldness: "Good child, there is no appeal process in a trial; the rules cannot be broken. This must be fate's arrangement; you should just accept your fate."
Her words were like a knife, piercing Xu Zhi's heart.
Xu Zhi pursed her lips tightly; her pretense was completely shattered at that moment.
Anger, disappointment, resentment... all emotions intertwined.
She turned around abruptly, her gaze fixed on Li Si, who was cowering to one side.
Xu Zhi pursed her lips tightly, tearing away the mask she had been wearing. She stared intently at Li Si, who was cowering to the side, then strode forward and grabbed his collar. "Was it you?!"
She rushed forward and grabbed Li Si by the collar. "Was it you?!"
Li Si shuddered, actually frightened by a little girl and unable to meet her gaze.
He stammered, "I, I, it wasn't me, I voted for you, it was you!"
His voice was filled with fear and panic as he desperately tried to prove his innocence.
Xu Zhi then looked at the others, his gaze lingering on Qian Chuan. "Qian Liu, it's you, isn't it! I told you you could name your terms, why are you still helping the wicked?!"
A look of hatred flashed in her eyes, as if she wanted to tear the string of coins to shreds.
Qian Chuan remained silent, neither answering her nor making excuses for himself.
The die is cast. What difference does it make if he votes for Xu Zhi? In this situation, Jia Zuowei has already won. Who would admit to voting for his opponent?
Upon hearing this, Jia sneered.
He stood up, walked deliberately to Xu Zhi, and sneered, "Little Xu, if you can't speak properly, then don't speak at all. What do you mean by aiding and abetting evil? Supporting me is aiding and abetting evil? This world is realistic; interests are the most important thing. Do you think your meager offers can sway everyone? How naive!"
Xu Zhi's face turned ashen from Jia Zuowei's words. She clenched her fists and looked at the crowd again.
However, everyone else seemed to be influenced by Jia Zuowei's words and avoided Xu Zhi's gaze.
Xu Zhi has already lost power and will have no chance to turn things around. They are unwilling to get involved in this dispute whose outcome is obvious, and they do not want to offend Jia Wei, such a powerful opponent.
Xu Zhi took a deep breath, trying to calm her anger. She glared at Qian Chuan, each word seemingly squeezed out from between her teeth, "Qian Liu, I won't let you get away with this!"
Li Chengfeng's voice rang out at this moment, cold as an ice pick piercing the heart, "Xu Zhi, you are willing to accept defeat."
His eyes were devoid of warmth, as if he were stating a fact that had nothing to do with him.
"Yes, I lost, but don't forget, I'm still the 'Nine of Diamonds'."
With a cold laugh, Xu Zhi and his male companion walked away without looking back.
Jia watched coldly from the sidelines, a smug smile playing on his lips.
In his view, Xu Zhi had completely lost any chance to turn the tables. He had already won this gamble.
He will have many more opportunities for revenge in the future, and he doubts that a little girl like her can cause any real trouble.
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