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While many people used Emilia's example to try and make Ginny's 'takeover' look better or worse time and again, those who really took such a comparison seriously were few and far between.
As for the rumors of the crimson-haired girl's direct involvement in the incident, their credibility was even worse. From the crimson-haired girl's obsessed 'knights' to her harshest critics, no one believed they contained even an ounce of truth.
Aside from a few statements and the White Deer Corporation's rather futile attempt at wrestling away Gray Wolfe's dominance in Carmen, she'd remained relatively distant from the whole thing all this time, after all. With her personality, it was naturally a little hard to believe that the crimson-haired beauty could keep silent if she really did something.
Of course, while no one was expecting any 'miracles', the number of eagle-like gazes focused on Carmen still remained terrifying.
Everyone was looking forward to which direction Ginny would steer Carmen in. After all, a skinny Camel was still taller than a horse, and with Gray Wolfe and the government of Carmen's influence combined, this new president could either turn into a formidable ally or a dreadful enemy.
For most 'superpowers' around the world, until they became certain of her stance… it was impossible for them to just sit back and relax.
Would Ginny use her newfound power to fuel the growth of her declining corporation and try to make it shoot back to its former glory, or would she take a somewhat different path than everyone expected?
Would she keep maintaining the old relationships that Sanders had established, both good and bad, or did she intend to start afresh?
And most importantly… just how did she plan to deal with the remnants of the White Deer Corporation in Carmen?
After all… with Samantha White and Noelle being noticeably 'absent' everywhere else, it wasn't hard for people to deduce that they might still be trapped in Carmen, having missed the opportunity to get out in time.
"Things could get quite interesting… huh?"
"What do you think, if Samantha White and Noelle are both 'lost', will the White Deer Corporation be able to keep going?"
"Doubt it. That old couple would hardly be able to bear their daughter's loss, and Emilia has shown herself to be someone who purely operates on emotions. If what you said really happens… it will probably be a spectacular show, to say the least."
Of course, as prominent powers commanding both respect and fear on a global scale, these people were naturally aware of the difference between Blue Dawn and Carmen. They knew that even if Emilia went ballistic at her sister's loss and launched a frontal assault, it would be no different from trying to smash a rock with an egg.
But the overall strength of the White Deer Corporation wasn't something limited to just 'Blue Dawn'. Not to mention, regardless of her character flaws, the crimson-haired empress had quite a 'dedicated' following of people in power, including even the usually taciturn Prime Minister of Phoenix.
This was one of the reasons why even when she openly started showing her absurd ambitions by interfering in Oriana, and even dared stretch her claws out to Carmen, those who were wary of her still remained silent.
This wasn't a snake they could afford to startle. Only if they were certain they would be able to subdue and rub her into the ground would they strike, and until that moment arrived, they would remain patient.
Good things come to those who wait, after all.
And from the looks of it, their long-awaited moment might not be as far into the future as they expected.
Except… the way it happened was exactly the opposite of what they were hoping for.
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Loud bangs and screams of rage and anger echoed through the 'ceiling' above their head as the black-clad figure with only her shoulder-length ash-blonde hair exposed motioned for her team to stop.
From their position, they could clearly hear the conversation in the supposedly soundproof room above them.
"Shit! How could that bitch Ginny just give up her position to someone else like that?! Is she a fucking moron or what?! And why her of all people… why her?!"
Although they hadn't been in contact with their 'base' too frequently after getting so deep into the enemy territory, Dixie could tell that from the words she heard that things in Carmen must have moved on to the next phase already.
'So it happened… Emily now has another country under her belt.' Dixie smiled. 'And from their reaction, it seems like things really stabilized much better than expected.'
Of course, even if they spent a few months making sure that the military and the people were 'assured' of their ability and intentions, making a 'foreigner' like Emilia their 'leader' still carried a substantial risk.
But without taking such a step, it would be impossible to force these hidden snakes who thirsted after the blood of her princess to move.
Thinking of how close she was to one of them now, Dixie almost failed to resist the urge to burst into their midst and start slaughtering them all. Fortunately, a tap on the shoulder from her 'team leader' woke her up in time.
Giving her concerned Cindy/Mindy a reassuring look, the dark-haired girl sighed. 'No wonder Crystal insisted to let her lead the team until we're done taking care of these morons.'
If she'd really given in to her urges and burst through the seemingly unprepared crowd above them, even with the element of surprise, it would be a miracle if half her team managed to return alive.
After all, unlike how incompetent and stupid he looked, the new president of Red Dusk was actually extremely cunning and insidious.
Even inside the 'safe' meeting room with hundreds of guards outside, he still kept over a dozen heavily armed soldiers with him, and even more were on standby in a nearby secret chamber.
Luckily, the tunnel they were currently using was only known to a few, and all except Cindy had perished in Red Dusk's attempt at assassinating Emilia a few years ago. Otherwise, even getting so close to the president wouldn't have been without a cost.
'Did he suspect that we would be ambushing him already? No, impossible….' Dixie frowned. 'But with things like this… even if we manage to kill him quickly enough, just how is Cindy planning for us to get out of here after we're done?'
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