Chapter 18: Electing the Alliance Leader

"I propose that Thunder Dragon, the chieftain of the Thunder Tribe, be chosen as our alliance leader. Does anyone have any objections?" Li Zhan’s words were skillfully crafted. In front of everyone, he nominated Thunder Dragon, yet asked for their consent, making the selection appear fair and just. But who would dare voice dissent in Thunder Dragon’s presence? Would that mean they coveted the position themselves, or that they harbored prejudice against him?

Still, recalling Thunder Dragon’s reckless temperament, many harbored doubts, fearing he might act on impulse and drag everyone down with him.

Even Thunder Dragon himself was caught off guard, never expecting Li Zhan to nominate him as the alliance leader. For a moment, he was left speechless, stunned in his seat.

Li Zhan, well aware of the doubts, smiled and said, "The reason I propose Chieftain Thunder as our leader is because I find him to be upright, warm-hearted, courageous, and willing to take risks—a perfect fit for this role. I trust, with the confidence placed in him by all the chieftains, Chieftain Thunder will dedicate himself wholeheartedly, always putting the greater good first, and leading us swiftly toward our goals."

The first part was meant for the chieftains, highlighting Thunder Dragon’s virtues to ease their doubts. The latter part was directed at Thunder Dragon—‘I nominate you for this post; you must live up to it, always mindful of the collective good, and not let your impulsiveness drag us into trouble.’

Even with Li Zhan’s frankness, the chieftains remained reluctant to accept Thunder Dragon as leader. To them, since the idea of alliance was Li Zhan’s own, and he possessed exceptional intellect, the position ought to be his by right.

But with Thunder Dragon present, none dared say so aloud. Their thoughts remained unsaid, and the chieftains hesitated to respond to Li Zhan’s proposal.

Crooked Radish, seated beside Li Zhan, could no longer contain himself. He stood and said, "Brother Li, since the alliance was your idea, you should be its leader. Why nominate someone else?"

Upon seeing someone speak up, the chieftains hurriedly agreed, all declaring Li Zhan would be more suited to the role.

Thunder Dragon shrugged off the hands of his three followers and rose from his seat, saying, "Chieftain Li, I thank you for your kindness, but as everyone has said, the position should go to you."

As soon as he spoke, his three followers stomped their feet in frustration. To be the supreme leader of seventeen tribes was such an honor—how could their chief give it away so easily? They couldn’t comprehend his reasoning.

Thunder Dragon himself felt uneasy. At first, he was stunned by Li Zhan’s nomination, thinking he’d misheard. Once he realized Li Zhan truly meant it, he was overjoyed. But seeing everyone’s reaction, his burning enthusiasm cooled instantly. After weighing it in his heart, though unwilling, he forced himself to stand and return the position to Li Zhan.

Li Zhan had considered everything beforehand, except how difficult it would be to give away the leadership. He had no desire to be leader, believing that such a post, elected from united tribes, was nominal at best. All tribes were equals, with no hierarchy; the leader’s seat, under these circumstances, was hard to occupy. For instance, should war break out, which tribe should charge first? Which should supply provisions? These are hard decisions. And in peacetime, if some tribes lack wood or food and ask the leader to lend it, what then? If he lends it, his own development suffers; if not, his reputation is tarnished.

Of course, there are advantages. If he leads well and satisfies the members, even after the alliance dissolves, his tribe will command respect among the others. But such hollow honors held no appeal for Li Zhan.

He wished to be like Cao Cao in history, issuing the call to arms, gathering all the warlords, then shoving the leadership onto Yuan Shao—his goal accomplished, he could retire in peace. Yet now, he had gathered the warlords, but when he tried to pass the leadership to the eager “Yuan Shao,” the warlords wouldn’t agree. Especially Crooked Radish, who, like a blustering Zhang Fei, stood up and voiced everyone’s thoughts, and “Yuan Shao” lacked the nerve to defy them and pushed the position back.

Li Zhan’s mind raced. Facing the expectant gazes, he smiled slightly and said, "Thank you all for your kind intentions. Truth is, I too would like to lead us to our goals. But I am only an amateur player—my online time is limited, as you all know. It took me over half an hour just to build the tribe center at the start. My approach to the game is purely for entertainment. With such an attitude, would I be fit for leadership? Besides, I can’t guarantee regular online presence. Should an emergency arise and I can’t be found, wouldn’t that jeopardize everything?"

Hearing this, the chieftains looked at one another, at a loss. An amateur player as leader was indeed unsuitable; most notably, as Li Zhan pointed out, if something urgent occurred and he was unreachable, it could cause disaster.

The three followers behind Thunder Dragon saw their chance and loudly declared, "Our Big Brother Thunder Dragon is online twenty-four hours a day, except for meals and bathroom breaks. With him as chieftain, you’ll never have trouble finding him!"

"Exactly! Our Big Brother is utterly dedicated to the game, determined to make a name for himself. Following him, we can’t go wrong!"

"And he’s a professional player, his skills top-notch, all strategies and guides memorized. With him, we’ll never take a wrong step!"

…

Li Zhan’s eyes, like those of the others, watched the three followers, but his peripheral vision was fixed on Thunder Dragon’s expression. He saw Thunder Dragon only symbolically gesture for them to stop, his face betraying a hint of pride beneath the surface. As for the others, though listening, they sighed and shook their heads, clearly still unable to let go of their disappointment that Li Zhan was shirking the leadership.

Li Zhan thought: It seems I can’t escape all responsibility. If this keeps up, one person backing out could sway everyone, and my alliance plan might collapse. If these seventeen tribes don’t unite, they’ll only be gradually devoured by foreign tribes.

With this in mind, Li Zhan interrupted the three followers and said, "How about this: We still nominate Chieftain Thunder as leader, and I’ll serve as deputy. Chieftain Thunder will oversee all affairs of the alliance, and if I’m online, I’ll assist him as advisor. What do you all think of this proposal?"