592: Unseemly eating habits

A stifling silence permeated the meeting room for a moment, until finally, someone could no longer hold back and spoke first.

A Galaxy Speaker sitting to Li Yang's left placed the documents in their hand gently onto the table, their tone carrying a hint of irrepressible questioning.

"Minister Li, how is it that there is only one candidate name in this entire document for the Vice Speaker position? Didn't we agree that we would discuss and deliberate on the selection together when we came here this time?"

This question instantly ignited the emotions of the crowd; many Galaxy Speakers nodded in agreement, their eyes filled with confusion and dissatisfaction.

Minister Li Li, however, merely lifted his eyelids, his face showing no ripples, instead adding a touch of serious and earnest expression.

He spoke slowly, his voice not loud, yet every word was clear, carrying an indisputable force.

"Regarding the Vice Speaker candidates for each Galaxy, our Personnel Department has already completed internal discussions beforehand. The candidate on the document is the final result reached by our Personnel Department."

Having said this, he deliberately paused, his gaze slowly sweeping across the room, his tone carrying a hint of intrigue.

"What, do you all feel that the candidate finalized by our Personnel Department is unsuitable?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the murmurs in the room ceased instantly.

How could the Galaxy Speakers not hear the subtext in Li Li's words?

This was no inquiry; it was clearly naked pressure.

The subtext could not be clearer: This candidate was decided by our Personnel Department; if you disagree, you are questioning the Personnel Department's decision, and you are not acknowledging the arrangements of the higher-level unit.

Everyone immediately fell silent, lowering their heads, their fingertips unconsciously rubbing the edges of the documents, and no one dared to say another word.

Everyone was as clear as a mirror in their hearts; these Galaxy Speakers all held, more or less, some quotas for promoting their own confidants.

If they truly offended the Personnel Department this time, any promotion lists or transfer applications they submitted in the future would likely be suppressed and blocked by the Personnel Department, never receiving approval.

After all, for minor, unimportant positions, they could decide internally, but for positions with greater power and higher status, they had to be approved by the higher-level unit.

It was not worth gambling the future of all their other confidants for the sake of one Vice Speaker candidate.

"comrade Li Li, I'm afraid that statement of yours doesn't quite align with the regulations, does it?"

A clear, steady voice suddenly broke the dead silence in the meeting room.

As soon as these words were spoken, the whole room fell quiet. The Galaxy Speakers, who had originally lowered their heads, all looked up in unison, following the sound, their eyes filled with astonishment and curiosity.

Who had such boldness to openly refute the Minister of the Personnel Department?

Just then, from a position near the front of the long table, Li Yang slowly stood up. His spine was straight, his gaze calm as he met the direction of the main seat, his tone neither humble nor arrogant.

"Regardless of how the Vice Speaker candidates are screened, there shouldn't be only one person who meets the criteria, right? According to regulations, at least a list of three candidates should be provided, giving us Galaxy Speakers the right to choose."

Before the words had even faded, a collective gasp of air could be heard all around.

When they saw that the person who spoke was Li Yang, the astonishment on their faces turned into realization.

Indeed, only Li Yang would dare to say such a thing.

He was different from the native, deeply entrenched Galaxy Speakers present. He was the Chairman of the Longlan Star Cluster who had been directly parachuted in from above. He had neither cultivated local confidants over many years, nor did he need to worry about intertwined interests, so naturally, he did not need to fear offending the higher-level unit.

"Oh, so it's Councilor Liyang. No wonder."

"Now we're in for a good show. I heard he was directly parachuted in from above; his background is very solid."

"Hmph, wanting to install their own people is one thing, but at least make it look presentable. The Vice Speakers for so many Galaxies, they just decided them like that, all of them picked by their Personnel Department—who could be convinced by that?"

Whispers spread quietly through the meeting room like a dense spiderweb.

Everyone was as clear as a mirror in their hearts: the position of Vice Speaker might look like it had no real power on the surface, but the underlying implications were deep.

Once the current Galaxy Speaker transferred, whether promoted or moved, the Vice Speaker was the first in line to become the next Galaxy Speaker.

To put it plainly, this was a completely gilded position, a stepping stone reserved specifically for their own people.

Now that the Personnel Department was acting so high-handedly, it was equivalent to cutting off the path for these Galaxy Speakers to send their own people into the core circle. How could they be willing to accept that?

"Comrade Li Yang, you've gone too far with that!"

Li Li's expression darkened instantly, his tone carrying obvious anger as he tapped his fingers heavily on the table.

"The candidates for each Galaxy were finalized by our Personnel Department after layers of investigation and repeated discussion. Where does it not align with the regulations?"

He stared fixedly at Li Yang, a trace of impatience flashing in his eyes.

As expected, among these Galaxy Speakers, the one before him was the most difficult to deal with.

Unlike the other native Galaxy Speakers with deep Foundations, Li Yang had been directly parachuted in from above. They could not fathom his background or details, only knowing that he was personally arranged by the higher-ups.

He had no ties to local factions and was not afraid of being manipulated by the Personnel Department; he acted and spoke without leaving any room for face.

Upon hearing this, Li Yang's lips curled into a very faint arc. His tone was unhurried, yet it carried a sharp, questioning edge.

"Oh? If we go by what comrade Li Li says, do you mean that the Vice Speaker candidates for these dozens of Galaxies all coincidentally had only one person who met the criteria? And it's also quite a coincidence that none of them are from their respective Galaxies?"

He was as clear as a mirror in his heart; he could see right through Li Li's little scheme.

The position of Vice Speaker might look like it had no real power on the surface, but in reality, it was a hot commodity.

This was an attempt to take advantage of this large-scale vacancy to insert their own people into every Galaxy, to gobble up all these dozens of positions in one go.

There must be more than just the Personnel Department involved in this; perhaps other ministers, or even that Galaxy Speaker, were all involved.

But regardless, this appetite was simply too ugly.

Li Yang frowned inwardly. Coming to this meeting, he had originally held some hope, wishing that there might be a few familiar faces on the shortlist. Even if they weren't confidants, at least he would know their roots and backgrounds. If he ever really encountered a situation where he needed to delegate power, he could safely entrust some affairs to them, letting them assist him in managing the Longlan Star Cluster.

But now it seemed that this hope had been completely dashed.

He raised his eyes to scan the thin document in his hand. The unfamiliar name printed on the paper felt like a thorn, pricking uncomfortably at his heart.

The appetite of the Supercluster Personnel Department was simply too big.