Chapter 915: Chapter 915: The Civil Official Group’s Return of Favor
The port of No.1 Settlement, after drifting at sea for two weeks, the Weilante people finally came ashore.
Aside from a few radical conservatives among the Polo people still protesting the Vellante Street project, the vast majority of local survivors welcomed these poor people who had traveled from afar.
Including those who once showed indifference towards them.
In a sense, this was also thanks to those emotional Polo people.
Their unreasonable and irrational actions had the opposite effect in the public opinion arena.
In some ways, this indeed made them feel more united among themselves, but it also made them more annoying to others.
Any reasonable or unreasonable demand can be made to the Alliance, but if you add, "If you don’t listen to me, I’ll throw a tantrum," or "If you don’t listen to me, you’re doomed," then no one is easily scared.
Some conservatives, to spite this group of immature crybabies, even went as far as putting up banners to welcome the Weilante people they were not interested in.
Don’t like it?
Then go back to your Polo Province!
We’re just as tired of you as you are of us!
If the Polo people’s method is so effective, then surely the folks in the Polo Province must be well-fed.
Of course, it must be said that the pro-monarchy crybabies don’t represent all Polo people.
There is still a portion of people who’ve integrated into the Alliance.
Maybe to repair friendships with society’s various circles, or perhaps feeling sincerely apologetic, there remains a group of Polo people standing at the port under their peers’ disdain, welcoming the Weilante people oppressed by the Army.
Leading them are mainly the Moon people, including one of the Radical Faction representatives, Su Ka.
From beginning to end, he had been trying to cool down the situation, to salvage the Polo people’s reputation.
Even after proposing the controversial "establishment of an immigration bureau bill" and being called a "traitor to the ancestors" by other Polo people, he still went all out to do this... even though it left him unappreciated by both sides.
It’s hard to say whether it worked.
But one thing, he actually had something in common with Jeremy, who led the blockade.
That is, they both touched their own hearts.
The only difference is Jeremy didn’t realize this and steadfastly continued his efforts.
But Su Ka was actually aware that he was doing something seemingly futile, and yet he continued doing it.
On the dock, Su Ka shook Yarman’s right hand, with a genuine smile tinged with some weariness.
"Congratulations to you all; from now on we walk the same path as comrades."
"Thank you for accepting us, and we are very sorry... for causing you trouble during this period."
Looking at the complex expression on Su Ka’s face, Yarman spoke in a sincere yet slightly apologetic tone.
Over the past two weeks, the Hank Group had procured 3,000 mobile homes from Fries Port to serve as temporary homes for the nearly 5,000 immigrants aboard the ship.
Now, these immigrants from Evernight Harbor no longer needed to commute to land during the day and return to the ship to sleep at night; they could find a place to shelter from the wind and rain even on shore.
These mobile homes were once aid materials sent to Fries Port settlements to assist the South Sea Union’s residents.
And now, with the end of the civil war in the southern sea area, the islanders of the South Sea Union either gradually returned to their hometowns or already owned new homes locally in Fries Port, meaning these mobile homes were no longer needed.
With the assistance of Gu Ning’s representative, the Hank Group procured these second-hand housing materials from the Fries Port City Hall at a "gift price" close to twenty percent of their value.
And in exchange, once Vellante Street is built, the Hank Group will donate these mobile homes for free to the local authorities of No.1 Settlement to help more survivors from the Western World or Eastern Provinces.
"It’s not even a bother, plus compared to the trouble other immigrants cause us, the trouble you caused is actually smaller," Su Ka said with an embarrassed smile, sighing softly. "Honestly, I feel quite ashamed inside; I know our suffering doesn’t come from you, but from something within ourselves... but admitting its existence is not easy."
"Actually, it’s not just you; we’re no different. We’ve been languishing for two centuries because of it," Yarman smiled brightly, giving him an encouraging look, "But I believe everything will get better, whether it’s us or you."
"Hopefully," Su Ka said with a smile, ending the inconclusive topic.
He didn’t know whether to face this issue pessimistically or optimistically.
Perhaps if General Lowell hadn’t achieved that unprecedented feat back then, things would have been different.
Maybe everything would have a different ending.
...
After bidding farewell to Su Ka, Yarman went to the ship to bring down his wife and children.
In fact, he could have stayed ashore, but his wife felt it would be better to endure hardships with their compatriots on the ship at this time.
They couldn’t abandon their fellow companions; they had to let them know they were together.
This time little Ruby sided with her mother too.
After pondering for a while, Yarman agreed with the mother and daughter’s idea.
Anyway, to him, the ship was like his home, so whether he went ashore or not made no difference.
After settling his wife and daughter, Yarman met his partner Zhang Ze near the passenger terminal.
This guy stood by the railing, looking like he had been waiting for him for a while.
Seeing Yarman approaching, he made a sigh of relief and welcomed him with open arms.
"I’ve got to say congratulations... and thank heaven and earth, our passengers are finally off the ship."
The main project of the Hanging Wall Labor Intermediary relies entirely on Yarman’s fleet.
Along the entire Death Coast, probably only his ships can freely enter and exit West Sail Port and buy serfs from local farm owners at the cheapest prices.
Looking at Zhang Ze, Yarman smiled and hugged him, patting him on the shoulder.
"Thank you."
Zhang Ze rolled his eyes, smiled, and pushed this guy’s shoulder away.
"Thank me for what? It’s your ship, am I going to urge you to kick your compatriots off? But, shouldn’t we start the next trip quickly? I feel this business might soon end, we better hurry."
Yarman gave him a strange look.
"Did you hear something?"
Zhang Ze said with a bitter smile.
"Heard something? My friend, are you not reading the newspapers? The tone of public opinion has completely swung to the other side, I’m worried that if this continues, the Alliance will prohibit us from directly sending Poluo people to the Death Coast."
It’s actually quite easy to do that.
The representatives just need to legislate to ban companies registered with the Alliance from providing financial services to survivors who have never been to the Alliance.
If they can’t help those serfs borrow money to redeem themselves, or if the redemption debt is not acknowledged, the whole business will immediately become unprofitable.
Doing this at that point would purely be charity.
After all, the Poluo people couldn’t possibly save up the fare out of the Death Coast by moving boxes at West Sail Port.
At that time, they can only do business for the wealthy or shrink the scope of business to Mammoth City and Jinjaron Harbor.
Yarman’s expression became troubled.
"That is indeed a problem..."
Zhang Ze shrugged his shoulders.
"Didn’t you know someone from the representatives? You better talk to that person named Gu... see if there’s a way to compromise."
"I’ll talk to him, but if he’s already made up his mind, I’m afraid my opinion won’t be of much use."
After all, that person is a representative of the Alliance, and his words and deeds have shown that he will prioritize the interests of Alliance citizens first.
Currently, the conservatives’ opinions hold absolute sway within the Alliance.
The only optimistic thing is that the Alliance’s conservatives probably don’t have the time and energy to discuss these detailed issues, their entire focus is likely on the related immigration regulations.
This is their core interest and is also the point that most touches the Radical Faction’s sensitive nerves.
Yarman promised his partner Zhang Ze that he would try to contact a representative of the Alliance and start the next voyage as soon as possible.
After saying goodbye to Zhang Ze, he was about to leave the port when he was suddenly stopped by a Weilante person.
"Hello, are you Mr. Yarman?"
Hearing someone call his name, Yarman stopped and looked at the person.
The person was dressed in plain casual clothes, but his polite manner did not seem ordinary, suggesting he was probably well-educated and worth a lot.
Yarman was sure he didn’t know him, so he spoke hesitantly.
"Sorry, may I ask who you are..."
The man smiled slightly, politely introducing himself.
"I should apologize for the sudden visit. Please allow me to introduce myself briefly, I am Greg, a trader around the City of Dawn, and the president of the Weilante Overseas Compatriots Mutual Aid Association."
Yarman gently furrowed his brows.
"Weilante Overseas Compatriots Mutual Aid Association?"
It was the first time he had heard of this organization.
Greg smiled and nodded, explaining.
"Simply put, it is a civilian organization where Weilante people outside the Army control area help each other. We are committed to providing convenience in information and assistance within the legal constraints of the local laws and regulations... could I take up a bit of your time? There are things I’d like to discuss with you."
Hearing Greg’s explanation, Yarman slightly relaxed his inner vigilance.
However, at that moment, he heard a hint of "Southern region" accent from the man’s words.
This guy is from Yavente City!
He wouldn’t be mistaken!
Traveling frequently in the Wasteland, Yarman immediately became more alert in his heart, his caution returning.
"...Wait, you said you are a civilian organization, Weilante people helping each other?"
Greg smiled and nodded.
"Exactly, if you encounter any trouble, you can also contact us—"
"I don’t need your help, but I want to ask, what were you doing before? Where were you two weeks ago when the Weilante people needed you the most?"
Facing this questioning tone, Greg’s expression was somewhat embarrassed, coughing as he said.
"Well... I’m so sorry, I only recently learned about your situation, and I rushed over immediately after hearing you needed help... though it seems I came too late."
Yarman’s face stayed neutral, but inside he sneered.
At least half a month had passed, but coming from the City of Dawn should not have taken this long.
However, he wanted to know the Association’s reason for targeting him, so he asked.
"What do you want from me?"
Looking at the obviously distrustful expression, Greg sighed and said helplessly.
"Please don’t be so nervous, we just noticed that you are quite influential among the people and want to recruit you into our organization..."
As he spoke, he took out a business card from his pocket and handed it to Yarman.
"This is my business card, please accept it... Additionally, considering that the Weilante people already make up a significant portion of No. 1 Settlement, we plan to set up a branch of the Association there. After hearing about your deeds, we unanimously believe that you, who always keep Weilante interests in mind, are the best candidate for the branch leader."
"I’m afraid I can’t help you," Yarman said as he took the card and tucked it into his pocket, "I’m going overseas soon and won’t be staying here long-term, you should choose another candidate."
"Understood, most of the people in the Association have their own businesses as well," Greg nodded and said with a smile, "However, you might still consider our offer; we never treat our ’own people’ poorly, as long as you are willing to become one of us."
"My phone number is on the card, please do contact me if you change your mind."
Leaving behind these meaningful words, Greg nodded slightly and hurriedly turned and left.
The entire conversation took less than a minute, and the guy didn’t even have the decency to invite him to a meal - he came in a rush and left just as quickly.
Yarman shook his head with a smile, putting the matter aside.
His instincts told him that trouble was brewing behind the scenes, but he really didn’t want to get involved.
However, he hadn’t taken more than two steps before running into another unfamiliar face.
The person looked quite ordinary, yet their build was robust, stretching a sea-blue shirt taut.
Unlike Greg earlier, this person looked like someone who did physical labor.
He had no intention of demeaning manual laborers, but Yarman had already met enough new faces today.
Seeing the person was clearly coming towards him, he chuckled bitterly and said.
"Alright, who are you, what do you want from me, let’s get straight to the point..."
The newcomer indeed did not beat around the bush.
He directly pulled out a palm-sized booklet from his chest, bearing the Alliance emblem and another insignia Yarman did not recognize.
And the next thing the man said stunned Yarman to his core.
"From the Guards Corps."
"We have a case here, please cooperate with us."
...
Time unknowingly slipped into late September.
After staying in Weifu City for nearly two weeks, Chu Guang set off once more on his journey.
This time, however, he chose not to take the train; instead, he switched his mode of transport to Huge Rock Military Industry’s "Viper" transport plane.
In addition, he adjusted his next destination, putting No. 1 Settlement as the last stop of the trip and choosing No. 10 Settlement, located at the northeastern corner of The Hague Province, as the first stop.
As for the reasons, he did not want to involve himself in the public opinion storm at No. 1 Settlement, among others.
Just the day before yesterday, the Guards Corps received information that the Southern Legion was planning to target him personally.
This was actually not so surprising, as most gamblers behave similarly; when they are cornered, they tend to take extreme measures and bet on unconventional strategies for victory.
Although the Southern Legion is far from being driven to desperation, the likelihood of their victory is visibly diminishing.
What choices they have at this point are few, and assassination of senior figures seems the most rewarding option.
And it’s not hard to carry out this plan.
The Alliance, despite its unity, has offended quite a few.
Especially after the "shock therapy" aimed at the Eastern Provinces began, there were a multitude of Looter forces eager to eliminate the Alliance.
Although the Southern Legion’s power on Alliance soil is relatively weak, it is not entirely absent.
They do not need to act themselves; they only need to fund certain Looter groups, and there will be plenty more than willing to act against them.
According to the intelligence gathered by the Guards Corps, an organization named "Weilante Overseas Compatriots Mutual Aid Association" is slowly making its way into their sight.
The founder of this organization is called Greg, someone who entered the Alliance provinces through the Great Desert by land trade, later running a building materials business around the City of Dawn, recruiting a group of Eastern Legion itinerant traders as members of the Mutual Aid Association.
The Alliance has always been supportive of civilian organizations, although never relaxing the regulatory framework within legal bounds.
And during the investigation into this Weilante organization, the Guards Corps discovered some unusual elements.
Such as Greg himself.
This land trader from the Eastern Legion, his business in the City of Dawn derives over 90% of its profit from maritime activities.
While investigating specific orders, the foreign trade department found a substantial amount of fraudulent orders.
A merchant from the Eastern Legion, making a fortune in an unfamiliar field from unknown sources, nearly had ’spy’ written all over him.
In terms of intelligence work, a survivor force of a single ethnic nationality indeed holds certain advantages, up till now the Alliance only managed to plant a single mole "Pangolin" within the Legion.
However, the Alliance’s Guards Corps are no pushovers either,
After reporting the news to Chu Guang, the Guards didn’t startle the snake by hitting the bush.
Various signs indicate that this so-called mutual aid society is likely just a facade. There’s a bigger fish behind Greg that’s probably related to the intelligence network the Southern Legion has deployed within the Alliance.
At that moment, Chu Guang had an idea and dispatched a group from the Storm Corps to stand by at Death Coast.
It’s better to lure the thieves out in one go rather than constantly guard against them.
Because of this, he set his next stop at No. 10 Settlement, which has the fewest population and weakest defense force.
Considering the previous "D97 train incident," this arrangement wouldn’t seem abrupt, nor would it arouse vigilance from those coveting the view.
The night before leaving Weifu City, Chu Guang hosted a dinner for Li Jinrong, the Southern Construction Corps leader, along with several high-ranking officials, joking that through their efforts, the place had already become a livable spot that makes people reluctant to leave.
Unexpectedly for Chu Guang, the next day, he saw his exact words on the outer wall of a landmark building in the center of Weifu City.
"This guy."
Watching the scrolling subtitles, Chu Guang smiled and shook his head, resting his head on the backseat, preparing to close his eyes and rest for a while.
Just then, a light blue holographic window appeared before his eyes, accompanied by Xiao Qi’s pleasant voice.
"Master, there’s a call from the Legion Embassy. Shall I connect you now?"
Chu Guang initially planned to have Cheng Yan take the call, but quickly reconsidered. Since Bennott had contacted him several times previously through diplomatic channels, and this time it was a direct call, it likely meant something urgent.
Thinking this, he abandoned his initial idea and said to Xiao Qi.
"Connect it."
"Alright!"
Replying enthusiastically, Xiao Qi vanished from the light blue holographic window. As the progress bar completed, Centurion Bennott’s face soon appeared on the screen.
Seeing Chu Guang on the screen, Bennott exhaled a deep breath.
"Thank heavens, it’s not easy to meet you. I’ve finally contacted you."
Seeing his exaggerated demeanor, Chu Guang chuckled and said.
"Meeting me is the same as meeting Cheng Yan. Alliance’s foreign affairs are mainly handled by him, so whether you seek me or not won’t make much difference."
Unperturbed, Bennott chuckled.
"Not necessarily."
Chu Guang smiled and said.
"Stop being cryptic; the signal here isn’t great. Just say what you need."
Bennott got straight to the point.
"You aren’t in the City of Dawn recently, right? You should pay more attention to your personal safety."
"My personal safety?" Chu Guang slightly paused, then smiled, "I didn’t expect my personal safety would need a reminder from the Legion’s envoy. Do you have any news on this?"
Seeing Chu Guang still joking around, Bennott’s voice inadvertently carried a hint of seriousness.
"I’m not joking with you. I know you have quite a few bodyguards with you, but those targeting you are also strong. Let’s put it this way; they’re from the Southern Legion Army Intelligence Bureau... I’m unsure if they’ll act directly or hire someone, but they are already moving on this."
Chu Guang’s eyebrows slightly raised with intrigue.
"Is this news from Triumph City?"
Bennott hinted ambiguously.
"Sort of, you can see it as the Civil Official Group’s tit-for-tat, or understand that your demise doesn’t align with our interests."
Chu Guang could sense the genuine concern coming from Bennott.
Even though just a year ago, this old man wished he’d drop dead instantly.
It’s evident Triumph City’s control over the Southern Legion has weakened to the point of needing help from adversaries to maintain internal balance.
"Death is a bit premature for me," Chu Guang said with a light smile as he looked at Bennott’s serious face, "but thank you for the information, I’ll be mindful."
The intelligence shared by the Civil Official Group wasn’t new to him, but the underlying information was quite valuable for him.
The Legion is on the brink of collapse, needing just one final trigger.
After hanging up, Chu Guang looked at the heavily armed Lu Bei sitting across from him and spoke warmly.
"Looks like this journey won’t bore you, even Triumph City is warning us that danger is creeping closer."
Lu Bei hesitated for a moment before saying.
"...Respected Manager, I still suggest you be more careful, wait in a safe place until we’ve resolved the trouble before continuing the journey."
He actually wished to advise Chu Guang to stay in a shelter or go to the nearest one.
But he also knew that even if he said this, the respected Manager wouldn’t listen.
Sure enough, after hearing his advice, Chu Guang merely laughed.
"How could that be?"
"I’m already here; if I don’t move around, my bones will rust."
Not long ago, his level had reached Level 70, and the Gene Sequence had climbed to the eighth phase.
He would show those restless rodents how foolish it was to target him.