486: Chapter 486 Zhao Fusu's Overt Scheme

"Our Pioneer Group will adopt a term-limit system, with each term lasting four years, and no one may serve more than two terms."

Zhao Fusu's voice was firm and clear, echoing slowly through the quiet conference hall.

He paused slightly, his gaze sweeping over everyone present, and continued, "Anyone who wishes to run for the position of Consul General of the Pioneer Group must compete by winning votes."

"Ultimately, the candidate with the most votes will become the new Consul General. What do you think of this proposal?"

Having finished, he turned his gaze toward those present, his eyes filled with inquiry and anticipation.

"This!"

Upon hearing this, various thoughts immediately stirred in the hearts of those present. Who didn't harbor a dream of becoming a leader?

According to Zhao Fusu's words, everyone among them had the qualification to become the Consul General!

After all, according to the rules set by Zhao Fusu, the Consul General would be subject to term limits; even if one were successfully elected, they could not hold the position for life, as they could serve at most two terms.

Even with a successful reelection, at most, it would only be eight years. Twenty years is but a fleeting moment in the long river of history, let alone a mere eight years, which would pass in a flash, vanishing in the blink of an eye.

Once someone had served consecutive terms, they could no longer run for Consul General, and thus, those with slightly less power would have an opportunity.

Such a rule would avoid the fierce infighting triggered by the struggle for the position of Consul General, effectively preventing the senseless depletion of internal strength.

Throughout history, countless powerful forces have fallen not due to attacks from external enemies, but due to decline brought on by internal strife. As the saying goes, a fortress is often most easily breached from within.

Take the Ming Dynasty, for example; such a once-powerful force ultimately collapsed in a thunderous crash.

Granted, at that time, the world was in the Little Ice Age, and abnormal climate conditions led to severe grain shortages, making it difficult for the common people at the bottom to sustain their livelihoods, which led them to rise up and shake the foundations of the Ming Dynasty.

However, more crucially, the internal partisan strife within the Ming Dynasty was intense; in order to defeat each other, both factions completely disregarded national interests, like draining the pond to catch all the fish, wasting vast amounts of wealth on infighting, to the point where the army could not even be guaranteed its pay.

Even if the soldiers were filled with patriotic fervor, they ultimately had to consider their livelihoods; without pay, their families would have to suffer from hunger and cold.

It was precisely at this moment that Nurhaci, the godson of Li Chengliang and the hereditary Commander of the Jianzhou Left Guard of the Ming Dynasty, quietly rose to power.

He used abundant wealth to bribe the generals of the Ming army; wealth is naturally tempting, not to mention a large group of Ming soldiers who were too poor to even afford a meal.

Consequently, they surrendered without a fight, and large numbers of organized Ming army units defected one after another, surrendering to him.

In Zhao Fusu's view, appropriate internal competition could stimulate vitality and prevent an organization from becoming stagnant. But excessive infighting would inevitably destroy a force.

Xiang Liang and Fan Zeng stared intently at Zhao Fusu; they saw an unprecedented seriousness in Zhao Fusu's eyes, and their hearts could not help but tremble.

They had already developed a sense of admiration for Zhao Fusu; if it were themselves, once they sat in the position of Consul General, it would be absolutely impossible to be like Zhao Fusu and voluntarily relinquish this throne of power.

From this, it was evident that Zhao Fusu genuinely hoped for the Pioneer Group to grow and flourish!

Xiang Liang and Fan Zeng already harbored ulterior motives; if they openly opposed Zhao Fusu's proposal, unless they could eliminate Zhao Fusu in one fell swoop, they would never be able to ascend to the position of Consul General.

But by agreeing to Zhao Fusu's proposal, they would have the opportunity to compete for this position openly and legitimately.

This could be considered a brilliant overt stratagem employed by Zhao Fusu; Xiang Liang and Fan Zeng had no reason, nor was it possible for them, to disagree.

"I agree!"

As expected, Zhao Fusu heard Xiang Liang express his stance first, his voice firm and forceful.

"I also agree!"

Fan Zeng immediately followed suit, his eyes revealing a hint of anticipation for the future.

"Then I also agree!"

...

After Xiang Liang and Fan Zeng clearly expressed their agreement, the others present, seeing this, also raised no objections and one after another agreed to Zhao Fusu's proposal.