7 What? A deposit?

"Of course." Andrei looked at her with certainty, agreeing to Zhiwei's request.

However, his agreement and Zhiwei's agreement were two entirely different things. Andrei was highly proactive, immediately beginning to make plans.

"We must hold several rallies in January to thoroughly promote your platform! Your current ranking is good, but it's not stable. Only the first place is secure. If you want to be chosen as a god, you must strive for the top spot!"

Zhiwei didn't understand the process of being chosen as a god at all. Upon hearing that it involved rankings, her survivor-show DNA kicked in. Curious, she asked Andrei, "So, what rank am I?"

Andrei spoke in a tone that mixed helplessness with a touch of shock, confusion intertwined with a hint of a breakdown, and a flicker of "I finally managed to be useful as an adjutant," saying, "Let me."

He leaned over, operated her optical computer, and opened the real-time ranking statistics page on the StarNet for her. Zhiwei scanned the list, and naturally, her eyes went straight to the top. She read aloud, "Vinova, Matteo Stewie... Wow, that's a long name!"

Andrei was exasperated. "Vinova is the name of his organization; the rest is his name!"

Zhiwei made a couple of "oh" sounds and continued down the list until she saw herself: [Seventh place, independent candidate, no organization, Zhiwei.]

Zhiwei didn't know how the god-selection process worked; she just thought being ranked seventh sounded quite impressive. She even panicked for a moment, thinking, *Oh no, what if I actually get chosen?!*

But Andrei told her that while rankings were important, they weren't important at all. Having done his homework when he desperately wanted to work for a campaign team, he explained it fluently:

"The real-time StarNet ranking and the actual number of votes you get in the final election are two different things. StarNet rankings fluctuate wildly. Perhaps you did something recently that got everyone fired up, and you hit first place, but that doesn't mean your position is stable."

Andrei took notes for Zhiwei as he spoke. "On the first of every month, the Temple holds a holographic live-streamed elimination round. They set a cutoff line, and those ranked below it are eliminated. This continues until the end of the year, until only two candidates remain. These two then enter the final stage of regional voting."

Zhiwei repeated after him, "Regional voting?"

Andrei nodded, getting more animated. "The votes for selecting a god aren't counted one by one per person. Instead, there are 301 total votes across the entire interstellar space, divided according to interstellar sectors, with each sector having a specific, albeit unequal, number of votes. If a sector supports you, you receive all of its votes. In the final stage, with only two candidates competing, the one with the most votes enters the Temple, receives divinity, and becomes a new god."

Andrei muttered, clearly still worried, "It’s only January 1st. They love you at the start of the year and you're ranked seventh, but they might not love you by year's end, and you won't even have a chance to enter the finals."

Zhiwei thought, *That would be...* wonderful!

Andrei remained very excited. Zhiwei glanced at him, noting his enthusiasm and understanding why he felt that way. She processed this god-selection mechanism in her own way: The interstellar world was filled with countless organizations that functioned like long-standing entertainment agencies, each with its own regional audience. Candidates with organizations had built-in fanbases, which naturally led to higher rankings. But Zhiwei had no organization; she was an independent participant who had suddenly gained popularity, making her a dark horse. Andrei had effectively decided to "invest" in her. Once she realized that, everything made much more sense.

She could look at this god-selection as a hybrid of a talent show and a political election—eliminations based on rankings, followed by regional voting when only two remained, with the one who secured the most votes winning. Once Zhiwei understood the process, she felt much more at ease. This whole thing was a multi-layered screening process; it looked incredibly complex and difficult. Who knew where she might get filtered out, so why worry?

Andrei asked diligently, "So, what shall we do next? Go to a nearby free sector not occupied by any organization and apply to hold a rally? Or perhaps hire a writer to summarize your platform into a book for distribution? Or write a popular, catchy poem about your platform?"

*Whoa, hold on! What kind of ideas are these?* He claimed earlier he couldn't think of any ideas and had been rejected by other teams, yet he seemed to have plenty now!

He had ideas, but Zhiwei had no intention of following them. These ideas sounded far too reliable. If she actually followed Andrei's suggestions and gained more followers, what then? She was here to be eliminated!

Zhiwei tried to bluff him. "My current plan is to remain unmoved amidst all changes."

Andrei made a silly, low sound in his throat. "Huh?"

Zhiwei had a likable, approachable air; her gaze was sincere, and she had a way of speaking that made people listen and believe her. Furthermore, she wasn't just talking nonsense—she made a very logical point!

Zhiwei said, "Think about it. I don't have an organization, I don't have backing, and my platform is quite radical. It's very easy for me to be targeted! So, we should keep a low profile right now."

"We do nothing," Zhiwei emphasized.

Andrei was conquered by her calm demeanor. He opened his mouth to speak but seemed at a loss for words, unable to say a thing. After holding it in for a while, he nodded, reluctantly accepting her logic. "Mm, you must have your reasons," he said with difficulty.

Zhiwei was extremely satisfied! She could have her questions answered, he was incompetent, yet he was handsome and obedient—what a perfect playmate! She didn't yet have the self-awareness of being a leader, but Andrei was already prepared. He officially pledged his loyalty to her, becoming her adjutant. He was proud, but also loyal. Zhiwei had chosen him, and even though she could have had many better options, she had accepted him. Andrei was now hopelessly devoted to her.

Andrei coughed awkwardly, walked over to Zhiwei, and knelt on one knee, the muscles in his legs pulling the fabric of his tight trousers into tense lines. He tilted his chin up, gazing at her. He whispered, "Commander."

Zhiwei met his sapphire-like eyes, suddenly feeling a twinge of guilt. She patted his shoulder randomly, squeezed his firm upper arm, and brushed him off.

The next day, Zhiwei received news that made her immensely happy. The Temple liaison, Hector, came to find her. Zhiwei sat on the sofa, and Andrei stood loyally behind her, right by her side. After listening to Hector's long, polite speech, Zhiwei stared into his honey-brown eyes and repeated his words in disbelief: "I have to pay a candidacy fee?"

Andrei, standing behind her, began to protest indignantly. "What money? Why didn't I know about this? Don't think I'm young and can be bullied; I've watched several campaign teams work. They passed the preliminary rounds, so why didn't they have to pay? Why are you asking my commander for money?"

Hector explained calmly, "Of course, a certain fee is charged, otherwise just anyone would join in the fun of selecting a god. In fact, all candidates who pass the preliminary round must pay a deposit. The Temple does not misappropriate this money; it is merely a proof." He looked pointedly at Zhiwei. "Proof that the candidate has the ability and prestige to raise these funds."

"As for the amount, it decreases according to the rank," Hector said with a polite smile. "If this..."

Zhiwei interjected, "Adjutant. He is my adjutant."

Hector continued slowly, "If the campaign teams this adjutant previously knew about had deposits that had been reduced to almost nothing, or even truly nothing... then that naturally wasn't a rank worth remembering."

Andrei shrunk back, unconquered but silenced. Zhiwei, harboring a bit of mischievous anticipation, asked, "So, what is the deposit required for my seventh-place ranking?"

Hector replied, "100,000 credits. If it is not paid within three days, your candidacy will be revoked, and you will lose your eligibility."

Zhiwei was ecstatic, almost laughing out loud. She had been handed a mountain of offerings yesterday—spending money on food, treats, and vaccines—and had used up more than half of it. She only had about 5,000 left. If she didn't have enough money, she would be disqualified. This was, quite simply... wonderful!

After seeing Hector off, she glanced at the anxious Andrei and immediately instructed him, "You are not allowed to use your own money to pay the deposit for me, understand?" She feigned heartbreak, "I haven't fallen so low as to need to misappropriate your personal funds!"

Andrei didn't understand. "What personal funds?" His clear, bright blue eyes gazed at her. "Now that I am your adjutant, I have no personal property; everything I have is yours."

Zhiwei: ...??

"You mean..." Zhiwei hesitated.

Andrei said righteously, "Pooling the assets of everyone in the campaign team is the candidate's first donation. Many candidates do this. Giving everything for the candidate's cause of god-selection is the glory of mankind."

"No," Zhiwei looked back at him earnestly. "I don't care what others do; I will not use your money."

"But..." Andrei still wanted to plead.

Her voice was clear, soft, and carried a hint of imperceptible joy. "If I cannot pay the deposit, I will be eliminated. That is the rule, isn't it? I follow the rules."

Andrei didn't know how the situation could be so critical, how Zhiwei could be in such a miserable spot, yet still have a smile in her eyes and such a gentle tone. He was worried sick for her! Yet here was Zhiwei, still smiling, still so gentle with him.

As her adjutant, and the adjutant to a candidate from a desolate star, he should have clearly explained the process to her and kept an eye on everything that needed attention. But he hadn't. He had stupidly waited with her until the Temple liaison came to demand money. Yet Zhiwei didn't blame him for not telling her in advance, nor did she reproach him for not having the money ready.

*Perhaps this is her personal charisma and self-discipline,* he thought. She truly didn't want his money, and she was truly different from other candidates.

Andrei was deeply moved. His gaze softened, and his tone became light. "You are so good to me."

Zhiwei raised her hand, looked him over, and patted his bulging chest casually to comfort him. "As long as you know that, keep a low profile."

Keeping a low profile meant doing absolutely nothing and waiting to be eliminated. She couldn't say that directly, so she used her eyes to hint frantically at Andrei.

"Understand?" she asked expectantly.

Andrei nodded vigorously, his golden hair bouncing. "Understood, understood!"