Upon hearing that Luo Fei had nominated Gu Hang to be the chairman of the Spider Web Universe, Gallardo was momentarily taken aback.
what?
They surrendered?
Immediately, he realized that it was impossible.
Luo Fei had other ideas.
However, Gallardo was in no hurry to speak.
Someone will speak up.
As expected, a high-ranking lord raised a question: "The alliance issue has not yet been resolved, yet the Executive Yuan has proposed that Gu Hang take charge of Spiderweb. Is this a poor decision?"
"That's not the case. In fact, we've been considering this for a long time." Luo Fei looked quite confident.
He then brought his ideas to the forefront.
Ignoring the lengthy and somewhat embellished arguments, the most crucial point is that Gu Hang has taken over the chairmanship of the Spiderweb Universe.
Gu Hang performed exceptionally well in the last war and was the greatest contributor to its victory—a fact that no one can deny. Therefore, merit should be rewarded, and he should naturally be promoted.
Isn't Gu Hang's primary official position the head of the Dragon Eagle Star Region?
Then let's go straight to the top, become the chairman of the Cosmic Domain, and govern the Spiderweb Cosmic Domain.
And coincidentally, the Spiderweb Universe also needs a political strongman to lead the thousands upon thousands of post-war worlds out of their predicament.
Wouldn't Gu Hang be a good fit?
As for the 'alliance' that has been discussed, Luo Fei did not mention it again.
But the meaning at present is already very clear.
Neither of these matters is stipulated in the Empire's regulations. There is no rule that someone who serves as the leader of a united political entity cannot serve as the chairman of the Space Domain.
In fact, there are quite a few other Space Domain Chairmen within the Empire who are in similar situations.
Of course, the political entities they control are generally just a few or a dozen planets that form a military, economic and political integration. They are generally located in the core area controlled by the Space Domain Government, so that the Space Domain Government can operate a core area and control core power.
There's definitely no one with a scale as large as Gu Hang's.
But so what? There are precedents, there are people who have gone before. The empire has no rules, so why can't Gu Hang?
It's only a tiny bit bigger, isn't it?
But Gallardo couldn't openly say that.
At this moment, he silently shrank back, not uttering a word.
He needs to observe the situation first.
Actually, the current situation is probably already clear.
Luo Fei is using a strategic retreat to advance, throwing out the title of Space Domain Chairman to make people think carefully about what kind of power the Space Domain Chairman and the Alliance would have together.
How much authority will Gu Hang have?
With both an alliance and the chairman of the Space Domain, will Gu Hang further expand the already troublesome alliance, perhaps even extending it to the entire Spider Web Space Domain, thus creating a super-sized, powerful political entity with advanced military, political, and economic capabilities?
That's quite possible.
Even Xu Fuzhen, who had always been greedy for the high tax revenue that the alliance could provide, hesitated.
Wanting money is one thing, but an alliance is just an alliance, after all, it only has five star regions; after all, the alliance has existed for several decades, and Gu Hang's attitude towards the imperial center has always been relatively compliant...
However, regardless of the circumstances, the combination of the chairman of the space domain and the leader of the alliance is still too exaggerated. The power and position are too great, and they can form a closed loop of power within themselves, so they are not subject to external supervision at all.
Xu remained silent during his follow-up visit.
One of Gu Hang's staunch supporters remained silent, and another supporter who coveted the alliance's money remained silent, and the situation gradually became one-sided.
Without Luo Fei needing to say anything more, it was the high lords who had no vested interest who cautiously spoke up, indicating that Luo Fei's opinion was unreliable.
Luo Fei, instead of being annoyed by the rebuttal, smiled and explained point by point, agreeing with the rebuttal's opinion.
He then suggested that they disband the alliance.
Wouldn't that be a win-win situation for everyone?
Gu Hang was promoted.
Without this opportunity, it would be extremely difficult for a typical star field leader to advance to the position of chairman of a space field. There are many hurdles to overcome, and each hurdle could cause a politician to waste their entire life.
Now, letting Lao Gu take a single step over this is a fitting way to honor his wartime achievements.
The alliance was disbanded, which put the lords of Holy Terra at ease, as they no longer had to face a new Ironclad.
For Luo Fei, Gu Hang becoming the chairman of the Universe Domain meant entering the Executive Yuan's official appointment system, transforming from a political enemy into "one of their own," and perhaps even a friend in the future.
In fact, Gallardo thought it was a good thing. If he hadn't known that Gu Hang was absolutely unwilling to give up the Alliance for the position of Space Domain Chairman, he himself would have voted in favor.
Isn't that a win-win situation?
"I disagree!"
Finally, someone stepped forward.
"I disagree with dissolving the alliance." It was Xu Fuzhen who spoke.
With a cold expression, the tax minister tossed out a document, ignoring all the other high lords, his gaze fixed solely on Qi Bodu.
In her reporting tone, she said, "By preserving the alliance, we will not only gain the current 300 billion a year, but also the future 1.3 trillion a year in revenue. At the same time, by following the Executive Yuan's appointment system, we will actually grant the star systems within the alliance, including the entire Spider Web Space, a tax exemption for ten or even twenty years. We will also maintain an army to manage and suppress, and we will invest more than 300 billion every year to rebuild the Spider Web Space."
"You can see the specific data in the documents. I will only tell you that, over the next ten years, the gap between income and investment will reach 20 trillion."
"The tax department has no way to make up for this fiscal gap from anywhere else."
"In other words, whether Gu Hang remains the chairman of the Space Domain or not, whether the Alliance remains or not, I don't care. I'm just telling you one fact: if Prime Minister Luo Fei's proposal comes true, then Solaria's current annual investment of 700 billion will have to be cut by more than half..."
At this point, Luo Fei's face darkened.
The dozen or so star systems and tens of thousands of planets in Solaria were appointed by the Executive Yuan. This region, which was expanded through the Sun's expeditions, has been the largest increase in the Executive Yuan's power for many years.
Xu Fuzhen ignored him and continued, "All reconstruction efforts for the Space Marine Chapters will be halted; the naval shipbuilding plan to replenish the Solar Fleet will be re-examined; the Inquisition's budget will be reduced, as it can no longer support your punishment of planets; Holy Terra's production orders for Mars will be reduced..."
She ordered from several more restaurants.
They didn't utter a sound.
"Therefore, my suggestion is that not only should the alliance not be dissolved, but why can't the Spiderweb Universe be given to Gu Hang?"
"I'll give it! I'll give it anything! As long as Gu Hang pays!"