Shen Feng convened a meeting to discuss the recapture of Yuzhou, which immediately drew opposition from many. These people believed that staying put in Jiangyang was sufficient, and questioned why they should expend grain and medicine to reclaim a dead city, a city overrun by plague with no living souls.
Of course, some supported Shen Feng's decision, arguing that Jiangyang was a small place, and a better future could only be found in Yuzhou. Moreover, if they could occupy Yuzhou, their future would be bright. In Jiangyang, they were merely carp, but if they could obtain Yuzhou, it would be a leap from carp to dragon!
In essence, this represented the views of hawks and doves. Some favored expansion, believing it offered better prospects, while others preferred a conservative approach, advocating for securing what they already possessed and resolving all existing problems before seeking further development.
The dispute between the two sides continued for a considerable time until Shen Feng finally intervened, bringing the arguments to a halt.
Shen Feng looked at the densely packed individuals in the conference room and stated solemnly, "Listen to me, everyone. The current situation is beyond our control. It's not a question of whether we *want* to recapture Yuzhou, but that we *must*! The conflict between outsiders and locals has become irreconcilable. While it appears to be a dispute over territory, it is fundamentally a struggle for resources! There are more monks than porridge, and for everyone to eat their fill, we must acquire more resources! Yuzhou is our target."
"The City Lord speaks the truth!"
"The City Lord's insight is profound!"
A group of people quickly echoed Shen Feng's sentiments. Those who had opposed him earlier could only remain silent. Since Shen Feng had spoken so definitively, to continue objecting would be to show him disrespect. Furthermore, upon careful consideration, they realized that the conflicts in Jiangyang were indeed severe and required resolution. At this juncture, recapturing Yuzhou was the only viable option.
Shen Feng nodded with satisfaction. These words were gleaned from Chu Yangtian's counsel; he himself could not have articulated such brilliant reasoning. It seemed his plagiarism, or rather, his appropriation of ideas, had successfully persuaded everyone.
"Then, let's discuss how we should go about recapturing Yuzhou. The difficulties in Yuzhou are also obvious, the most significant being the plague! Additionally, the issue of food supply needs to be addressed," Shen Feng continued.
Everyone began to discuss, but their deliberations were private, and no unified plan emerged.
Finally, Zhou Xiaoxiao was the first to stand up and state seriously, "In my opinion, the greatest difficulty in recapturing Yuzhou is not the zombies, as they have all fled. Nor is it the plague, but the food! With Jiangyang's current population of 400,000, our food supplies will only last until the early spring planting. By then, everyone will inevitably have to eat wild vegetables. However, if we undertake large-scale operations during winter, the problem will be food insufficiency! Therefore, without resolving the food issue, recapturing Yuzhou is impossible."
Zhou Xiaoxiao's view was straightforward: solve the food problem first, otherwise, forget about recapturing Yuzhou, as even feeding 400,000 people was a challenge.
Chang Jianyi then stepped forward and said, "There's no need to worry about that. I will use my abilities to accelerate the growth of a large batch of crops. In short, there will be no shortage of food."
Yang Ye stood up and offered his perspective: "Recapturing Yuzhou is not a task that can be accomplished overnight; it could take months! I suggest we send a vanguard to scout Yuzhou, establish a transit point, and then continuously transport supplies and personnel from Jiangyang to Yuzhou, advancing step by step until Yuzhou is recaptured!"
Shen Feng nodded, acknowledging Yang Ye's suggestion as sound.
At this point, Tu Xuhuai also stood up and stated earnestly, "Personally, I believe that recapturing Yuzhou should not rely solely on Jiangyang's strength. Since we lack medicine, we can purchase it from the south. I heard that the City Lord went to Rongcheng and obtained a large quantity of viscous substances used for evolution, which can be exchanged for medicine. Yunnan and Guizhou provinces will not be short of medicine; they only lack purchasing channels!"
Shen Feng nodded and said seriously, "This can be done. As long as we secure Yuzhou, it is worth sacrificing all our evolution bases."
Meanwhile, Teacher Niu Baiye stood up and said earnestly, "City Lord, you should expand the laboratory. You've brought back many good things, but they haven't been properly researched. I am a student of biology, and while I can classify organisms, conducting experiments requires many talented individuals! I fear I cannot manage it alone."
Shen Feng nodded, lamenting, "I will expand the laboratory's scale, rest assured."
Shen Feng understood the importance of technology, but ultimately, talent was not easily acquired, especially for experimental work. Previously, Yu Renshu could hold the fort, but now that Yu Renshu had also left, the laboratory was devoid of a leading figure.
Shen Feng also had a plan. Jiangyang's talent pool was indeed limited, but Yuzhou, being such a large city, should provide ample talent. Therefore, as long as they could occupy Yuzhou, they could then widely recruit talent, and the laboratory could be tentatively established.
In addition, Yang Chang and Li Xiang, among others, provided supplementary points to consider. With everyone's decisions made, the operation to recapture Yuzhou was about to commence!
The City Lord's Mansion had the decision printed and posted in streets and alleys, which immediately caused a stir among the populace. The locals believed that once Yuzhou was recaptured, the outsiders would naturally leave. The people of Yuzhou believed that by recapturing Yuzhou, they could return to their hometowns. Shen Feng, who announced the recapture of Yuzhou, instantly became a hero in everyone's eyes.
For a time, countless people in the city praised Shen Feng, and the previously apparent disputes between locals and outsiders temporarily disappeared.
In reality, the easy disappearance of conflict was a temporary phenomenon. The people of Yuzhou supported Shen Feng because they wished to return home, while the people of Jiangyang supported the action because they hoped the outsiders would leave soon and stop competing for resources.
However, if the operation to recapture Yuzhou did not go smoothly, the crisis in Jiangyang would erupt instantly, and Shen Feng would then be forced to reveal his profound powerlessness. At any time, only strength mattered, and at this moment, Shen Feng's strength in Jiangyang was the greatest.
Shen Feng stood at the southwestern city gate, bidding farewell to Cao Fuli. Cao Fuli, leading a hundred men, held his long saber, ready to depart.
Cao Fuli had been ridiculed in the barracks for a previous flatulence incident. He knew that to silence them, he had to achieve merit. Thus, he volunteered to lead a group to purchase antibiotics in Yunnan Province, while another team, led by Guo Pinming with a hundred men, was dispatched to Guizhou Province.
"You must be careful on your journey. Although you are all evolved individuals, Yunnan and Guizhou are mountainous regions. You never know what mutated animals might lurk in the mountains. Take care of yourselves! You must return safely. If those people refuse to sell medicine, then so be it; safety is paramount," Shen Feng earnestly encouraged the two, hoping they would be cautious in their pursuit of medicine.
These two hundred men did not carry firearms, as they were too conspicuous. If questioned, they might be detained. Therefore, the matter of purchasing medicine could not be too overt. Success was desirable, but not at the expense of safety.
Currently, the trade of evolution potions was exclusively through official distribution. Beyond that, no one dared to buy or sell evolution potions publicly due to their extreme preciousness. In ordinary cities, there was only one evolved individual per ten thousand people, as these individuals lacked access to evolution potions.
It was precisely for this reason that evolution potions were considered incredibly valuable.
Many wealthy individuals possessed abundant resources but could not obtain an evolution potion because they were all monopolized. On the market, obtaining one required an exorbitant price. It could be said that evolution potions were the most crucial resource.
On the other side, Yang Chang, leading a thousand men, headed towards Yuzhou to establish a transit point. He had always been exceptionally loyal to Shen Feng, and Shen Feng trusted him with this task.
Chang Jianyi was leading people in planting corn. It wasn't that she particularly liked corn, nor that it was high-yield. It was because winter had already set in. While the daytime temperature was acceptable, the ground was still cold, and only corn could grow. Furthermore, corn stalks could be used to feed cattle or for fuel.
After Chang Jianyi had her people sow the seeds in the fields, she stood in the central area, holding an umbrella. After unleashing her abilities, the corn plants in the field began to grow immediately, along with the weeds. Harvesting was possible within half an hour. The range of plant growth was only about five hundred meters, so Chang Jianyi had to constantly move.
Chang Jianyi hadn't expected to find herself back to being a farmer. She only hoped her abilities could help Shen Feng. As long as sufficient food was obtained, recapturing Yuzhou would not be a difficult task!
Chang Jianyi's ancestors were farmers, and after finally moving to the city, they had managed to escape their difficult past. However, she herself had returned to the fields, a true cycle of fate.
However, while farming, Chang Jianyi discovered something peculiar. It seemed that on the same plot of land, after she had accelerated its growth twice consecutively, the corn plants became stunted. Even with timely watering, they couldn't grow taller.
"Could it be a problem with soil fertility? This means we can't keep planting in the same spot," Chang Jianyi speculated.
In fact, the advancement of modern agriculture was partly supported by fertilizers. Otherwise, soil fertility was limited, and without sufficient fertilizer, crop growth would either be slow or stunted and unsightly.
Chang Jianyi's farming also lacked fertilization, so after planting twice, the plants naturally became stunted.
Fortunately, Chang Jianyi chose to plant corn, a crop that was not only high-yield but also undemanding of land, capable of growing in both mountainous and plain areas. Therefore, Chang Jianyi could choose vast areas for cultivation, as long as the food could be harvested in time.
At this moment, Chang Jianyi understood why the northern great nation planted corn on a large scale, even earning someone the title of "Corn Xiaofu." The advantages of this crop were too obvious, capable of rapidly addressing food shortages.
Meanwhile, as soon as Shen Feng announced the operation to recapture Yuzhou, the headquarters called to inquire. Their first statement was: "You have an operation underway, why didn't you report it to headquarters?"
Shen Feng quickly replied, "This is a matter of great importance, and naturally, I need to be cautious with my wording. Not a single punctuation mark can be wrong, so reporting requires utmost care! Am I not preparing to report this to headquarters for their knowledge?"
Shen Feng hadn't expected that within half a day, headquarters would call to inquire. It seemed nothing could be kept secret from those above.
Of course, headquarters had satellites that could be deployed at any time, and they would surely have discovered the situation in Yuzhou promptly. Even if Shen Feng deliberately tried to conceal it, it would be impossible.
Headquarters stated directly, "You were previously granted the authority to recapture all of Luzhou, but not Yuzhou. Think carefully; this is not something you should be doing!"
Shen Feng was not swayed by this. He immediately began to complain, "I've heard many people praise dairy cows, for they consume grass and produce milk. But dairy cows also have conditions for milking, don't they? In any case, they need to be fed grass! Currently, there are 400,000 people under my care to feed, and if headquarters doesn't provide food, how can my people survive? Therefore, I have no choice but to do this!"
"The entire country is facing a food shortage, not just your region. We cannot provide you with food simply because you need it," headquarters explained.
Shen Feng suddenly became proactive and said earnestly, "Alright then, I won't recapture Yuzhou. I have deeply realized my mistake and will immediately recall my people."
Headquarters was pleased with Shen Feng's attitude, believing he had finally admitted his error.
However, Shen Feng then said, "Of course, if headquarters does not provide me with food, I cannot continue to support these people. Therefore, I have decided to drive out 300,000 people from Jiangyang City! This way, everyone will be at peace. Headquarters will not suffer a loss, and my people will have no complaints!"
"..." Headquarters fell silent for a long time. Shen Feng's threat had taken effect. Thirty thousand people were starving, and if they were driven out, they would have no hope of survival. Shen Feng's move was truly self-defeating.
Finally, headquarters replied, "You are on your own!"
After that, the call was hung up. Shen Feng listened to the dial tone in the receiver and understood that he had managed to muddle through this time. Of course, "you are on your own" needed careful interpretation; it could mean "do as you please" or it could imply accountability. In any case, headquarters' attitude was not clear.
Shen Feng put down the receiver and muttered to himself, "Plucking chestnuts from the fire; I have no choice."
Currently, Jiangyang was the closest to Yuzhou. The nearest neighbor gets the best advantage. Shen Feng knew that as long as he could secure Yuzhou, he would truly achieve his great leap forward.
However, Yang Chang's vanguard immediately sent back news: "City Lord, there are too many mutated rats in Yuzhou City, requesting reinforcements! There may be hundreds of thousands of rats here, all hiding in the sewers, and they cannot be cleared. Furthermore, we have discovered the Rat King within Yuzhou City!"