Bai Feifei secretly warned herself in her heart, repeating “stay humble and calm” twice before taking a deep breath and pushing open the door to walk out.
As the door opened, she was greeted by a temporary housing area on the relatively outer edge of the Inner City.
Since the bustling central area was almost completely in ruins, this place served as temporary housing and offices.
The moment she showed her face, several Inner City people who were busy moving supplies on the street stopped their work in unison and turned to look over.
“Miss Bai?”
“It's Miss Bai! Miss Bai is awake!”
A look of almost fanatical respect bloomed on their faces. They quickly gathered around, yet none of them dared to get too close.
There were quite a few people like this, and soon a crowd gathered. They watched Bai Feifei with admiration from across the street, whispering things like “hero” and “savior.”
Bai Feifei suddenly felt incredibly self-conscious. She had actually become a hero; she had never experienced anything like this before.
Offering a somewhat strained smile, she didn't really know how to handle this kind of situation and stood there awkwardly.
Just then, a person wearing a Scavenger uniform walked over quickly, bowing slightly when they reached her side.
“Miss Bai, you're awake!”
“Do you have some time right now?”
“Is something the matter?” Bai Feifei was taken aback. She didn't recognize this person and asked subconsciously.
“The higher-ups are currently discussing matters in the temporary office. Since your status is highly important, everyone hopes you can be present.”
Is my status really that important...? Bai Feifei thought to herself.
But then her thoughts shifted. Dawn City had just gone through such a massive disaster, and everything was waiting to be rebuilt. There were indeed too many things to deal with, so she might as well go and take a look.
“Alright,” she nodded.
The person immediately looked delighted and hurriedly led the way.
The so-called temporary office was actually just a reinforced two-story building. It didn't even have a proper sign at the door, only a few guards standing watch.
Pushing the door open and entering the room, she saw that it was packed with people. At a glance, familiar faces from the major families like Ye Hanshan, various academy staff, and Wan Qianhong were all present.
Even Xie Xuan and Xie Jin were there for some reason, joining in on the excitement.
When they saw her walk in, everyone in the room stood up, showing her immense respect!
The sheer uniformity of their movement startled Bai Feifei, causing her to take a step back.
In her mind, the Old-Timer's teasing voice rang out right on cue: “Oh, look at this reception. They're just one step away from saluting you.”
Bai Feifei: ...
After a round of awkward pleasantries and inquiries about her health, Bai Feifei found a chair and sat down with everyone. She looked toward Wan Qianhong in the crowd as if seeking help.
Wan Qianhong spoke to her: “Dawn City is currently in a state of near-total paralysis. We gathered here to discuss the subsequent reconstruction and the restoration of order.”
“Since you're here now, do you have any suggestions?”
As soon as she said this, several people in the room subconsciously lowered their heads.
Even if they hadn't caused trouble for her in the past, most of them had never really stood on Bai Feifei's side. At this moment, they were all wondering if they had ever offended this progenitor.
However, Bai Feifei's expression gradually grew serious. This time, she didn't try to shirk any responsibility. After a moment of silence, she spoke up:
“I don't actually know much about these matters.”
“But I only hope that the Voting Assembly can continue, so that the citizens have a channel to make their voices heard.”
Bai Feifei thought for a moment and continued, “Additionally, I hope that the future Dawn City will no longer have such a stark division between the Inner City and the Outer City.”
The moment those words left her mouth, the room fell incredibly silent.
It seemed no one expected this to be her main concern. She hadn't brought up the past, nor had she mentioned anything regarding power.
Ye Hanshan was the first to snap out of it. He nodded slowly and said, “The casualties this time are indeed severe, and the Inner City itself is short on manpower.”
“But from a practical standpoint, completely abolishing the division between the Inner and Outer Cities right away is still highly unrealistic. We can start by bringing in some Outer City people, establishing a fair entry and exit system, and then gradually closing the gap in status and living standards between the two sides.”
Bai Feifei listened intently and nodded. “I agree.”
After speaking, Ye Hanshan looked at Bai Feifei and spoke once more:
“By the way, since that's the case, Teacher Bai, please assume the position of the new City Lord!”
Bai Feifei was taken aback and hurriedly waved her hands in refusal. “No, no, forget about being the City Lord. I don't have any experience in governance, nor do I understand these things.”
But seeing her refuse so decisively, everyone exchanged glances, and they actually grew a bit panicked.
One after another, they quickly spoke up:
“A hero's age doesn't matter, Miss Bai. There's no need to be too modest. You are the hero of Dawn City, and you fully deserve this title.”
“You won't need to do anything specific either. There will naturally be people to handle the day-to-day affairs.”
“Indeed. Only with you in this position can we win the public's trust.”
Bai Feifei was completely dazed. Hearing everyone suddenly shower her with such compliments left her entirely at a loss for what to do.
Right then, in her mind, Xu Mo thought to himself that this was exactly as expected. With a hint of amusement, he said:
“No surprise there, this is perfectly normal. Previously, the people of Dawn City only recognized Liang Shuguang. Now, all legitimacy has shifted to you. You might be young, but the citizens acknowledge you. I'm afraid even Liu Yun doesn't command as much public respect as you do now.”
“If you really dare to just pat your butt and leave, taking over the position of City Lord would be a hot potato for any of them. Besides, they are also terrified of the great entity backing you, so they don't dare offend you.”
Then what should we do? Bai Feifei replied in her heart.
Xu Mo laughed. “What should we do? Isn't a scene like this meant to be thoroughly enjoyed? Why are you getting nervous?”
In the next second, Bai Feifei's body shuddered.
Xu Mo logged in!
“Give me the account, I'll take over the controls.”
Everyone present was staring at Bai Feifei when they suddenly saw the young girl's entire aura undergo a drastic change.
Her previously proper sitting posture instantly became wild. She leaned back against the chair, crossing her legs, looking as though she was just one step away from propping her feet up on the table.
“Bai Feifei” rested her elbow on the table, propping up her chin with her hand, and spoke in a highly dramatic manner:
“Oh my—”
“Since everyone is so intent on forcing me onto the throne, I guess I have no choice. You guys have really... made things hard for me~”
Everyone in the office was stunned, blinking as they stared at the young girl in front of them.
Bai Feifei had been so polite and gentle recently that they had completely forgotten that this formidable young lady's mental state had always been rather unstable.
And at this moment, that long-lost, scalp-tingling sense of familiarity returned.
Before anyone could react, Xu Mo switched which leg he was crossing, tapped his fingers on the tabletop, and continued with a smile:
“But as for this City Lord position, let's really forget about it. I don't care much for it anyway, and the title itself is a bit bad luck.”
“However, I do have another suggestion.”
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