Tian Erhe wasn't misled by the fancy name and asked weakly:
“What are the specifics?”
Jiang Bai Mian had long prepared her explanation and replied fluently:
“Simply put, you need to provide the company with the intelligence and books you've obtained. Also, some transactions that the company can't directly handle may be placed here.
“In addition, if any members of the company need a place to stay or some assistance, you can't refuse.
“And what you'll get is:
“Better weapons, more bullets, more extensive knowledge, higher-yielding grain seeds, cheaper cotton, cloth, medicine, and salt…”
Upon hearing the latter part, everyone from Shuiwei Town in the room, including Li Zhengfei, was moved.
For a settlement that barely manages to be self-sufficient in grain, weapons, bullets, cotton, cloth, medicine, and salt are all relatively scarce commodities, things they worry about obtaining or trading for every day.
In the past, they mainly relied on excavating city ruins to obtain them, but after so many years, countless relic hunters and wilderness wanderers have come and gone, emptying the safer ruins of essential supplies.
This forces the residents of Shuiwei Town to either explore more dangerous places or trade with other settlements—Shuiwei Town's location is hidden, and only a very few trusted people know how to reach it, so the number of trades that can be completed is inevitably limited.
“Acceptable…” Tian Erhe, leaning against the headboard, looked at Jiang Bai Mian and nodded slightly. “What else?”
Jiang Bai Mian said seriously:
“The company will also send an armed team of more than twenty people to be stationed here to help train your town guard members and make them even more powerful.”
The expressions of the Shuiwei Town residents present changed simultaneously, some in panic, some in contemplation, and some in vigilance.
For them, whether it's providing intelligence, helping with transactions, or providing shelter, none of it affects their core interests. But allowing a fully armed team to be stationed in Shuiwei Town means they've lost true control.
This is unacceptable to many.
Jiang Bai Mian interjected before Li Zhengfei could speak, adding with a smile:
“I've already submitted Shuiwei Town's location to the company.”
After dropping this "bomb," she scanned the faces of the other Shuiwei Town residents.
None of them dared to meet her gaze, and they lowered their heads one after another.
They secretly glanced at Bai Chen with resentment, blaming her for so easily bringing "Pangu Biology's" people to Shuiwei Town, completely betraying the town chief's trust.
This leaves them with no room for negotiation now. Agreeing is agreeing, and even if they don't agree, they'll be forced to.
Could a large force not conquer such a small settlement?
Long Yuehong, on the other hand, was a little confused, because he remembered that the team leader had promised Bai Chen not to tell the company the location of Shuiwei Town in advance, and her report did blur that point.
Long Yuehong glanced at Shang Jian Yao and noticed his lips moving slightly, silently uttering a word.
As someone who doesn't know how to read lips, Long Yuehong could only guess what Shang Jian Yao was saying based on intuition.
He must be saying:
"Liar."
Tian Erhe was silent for a while, then coughed violently a few times:
"It's not that we can't accept it."
"Yes…" Li Zhengfei exhaled slowly.
The expressions of the others gradually returned, and they asked all at once:
"Where will they live then? There aren't many rooms in these buildings. Surely we can't ask everyone to move out, can we?"
"Will they bring their own food, or will we provide it? Will there be compensation?"
…
These questions surprised Long Yuehong, giving him a sense of not understanding the current situation.
They're clearly discussing something that concerns the life and death of the town, so how did they suddenly enter a stage of haggling over petty gains?
Even if they're forced to agree and can only accept it, there are still many important issues that need to be discussed and determined!
When the chaotic situation subsided, Tian Erhe sighed and said:
"Anyway, this old man won't live much longer. When the time comes, just empty this room and the conference room, partition them, and provide them to the people from 'Pangu Biology'…"
"Town Chief, you'll be fine. 'Pangu Biology' has excellent doctors," Bai Chen said anxiously, comforting Tian Erhe.
Tian Erhe smiled:
"How can a person not die?"
"Mechanical Monks can…" Shang Jian Yao replied from the side.
Then, he was glared at by Jiang Bai Mian and silently closed his mouth.
Unaffected, Tian Erhe looked at the Shuiwei Town residents in the room:
"Do you have any other thoughts?"
Since the town chief had already made a promise and their own interests didn't seem to be harmed, the others didn't dwell on the issue and shook their heads to indicate they didn't.
Tian Erhe looked at Jiang Bai Mian again and hesitated before saying:
"What's your company's attitude towards those people in the square?"
He was referring to the large number of residents in the middle and lower classes of Shuiwei Town, most of whom were "outsiders."
Jiang Bai Mian replied without hesitation:
"For the company, every single person is a valuable resource, and we won't give up on them easily."
Seeing that many people in the room showed expressions of disdain or dissatisfaction, she added with a smile:
"The company also gives out several spots each year to reward those who have made significant contributions or have outstanding talents, allowing them to become official employees of the company and enjoy corresponding benefits.
"Just like us."
Looking at these few glamorous outsiders, the Shuiwei Town residents present were visibly excited.
They felt that those few spots were prepared for them.
What chance would ordinary townspeople have to make major contributions?
As for how good it is to become an official employee of "Pangu Biology," they couldn't imagine it for the time being and could only intuitively see the difference from Jiang Bai Mian, Shang Jian Yao, and the others.
"That's good, that's good…" Tian Erhe breathed a sigh of relief, and a hint of a smile appeared on his face.
His body seemed to shrink down a bit:
"Is there anything else?"
"That's about it." Jiang Bai Mian didn't stimulate the nerves of the Shuiwei Town residents present any further. "If you're willing, we can also send people to help you design a new management system to improve labor efficiency and prevent people from being lazy."
She deliberately steered the matter towards how to manage the other townspeople.
Seeing that no one had any objections, Tian Erhe said with some difficulty:
"Then let's settle it like that.
"Zhengfei, what do you think?"
Li Zhengfei thought for a few seconds and replied:
"I have no problem."
Seeing this, Jiang Bai Mian, in order to avoid any unforeseen circumstances, immediately turned her head and said to Long Yuehong:
"You and Shang Jian Yao go get the radio transceiver."
She didn't directly order Shang Jian Yao, because she was worried that this certified mental patient would give a reply to every sentence, and the current occasion was obviously not suitable for doing so.
"Okay." Long Yuehong was rarely in a position to play a role and was very active.
After leaving the small building with Shang Jian Yao, he looked left and right and lowered his voice:
"Was the team leader lying to them just now when she said she had already reported the location to the company?"
To seize the initiative in the negotiations!
"Or could it be that she's lying to you?" Shang Jian Yao asked rhetorically.
Long Yuehong knew he had guessed correctly and retorted with slight pleasure:
"That's not impossible either."
"If she wanted to lie to you, you wouldn't be able to tell at all." Shang Jian Yao glanced at his companion.
"…True." Long Yuehong couldn't deny it.
…
Inside Tian Erhe's room, Li Zhengfei watched Shang Jian Yao and Long Yuehong leave and asked tentatively:
"Should we gather everyone together now and announce this matter?"
Tian Erhe looked at him, coughing, and said:
"No need.
"It's enough as long as you agree.
"It won't be too late to announce it after the 'Pangu Biology' team arrives."
"Yes," Jiang Bai Mian echoed.
She was worried about accidents.
Although the conditions offered by "Pangu Biology" wouldn't cause any substantial harm to the townspeople in the middle and lower classes of Shuiwei Town and would even give them many benefits, such promises are always met with suspicion before they are truly realized.
Moreover, major changes will inevitably lead to unrest and instability.
In such situations, people become very sensitive and easily make irrational decisions. If a few ambitious or extreme people take the lead, the situation often spirals out of control.
Once the "Pangu Biology" team is stationed, under the pressure of their powerful firepower, everyone will definitely not dare to have "opinions" for a while. They'll be able to stably watch the promises being fulfilled bit by bit, their lives slowly improving, and they'll be able to sincerely accept this matter.
Tian Erhe and Jiang Bai Mian's words completely reassured many townspeople in the room, making them feel that their status wouldn't be shaken and that they wouldn't be on the same level as those people in the square.
Before long, Shang Jian Yao and Long Yuehong carried the radio transceiver up.
Jiang Bai Mian immediately wrote out the telegram content by hand and showed it to everyone there.
It mainly stated that Shuiwei Town had agreed to sign the friendly cooperation terms and that the company could send people over.
At the end of the telegram, Jiang Bai Mian described Tian Erhe's condition and asked the company to find a doctor and bring along the corresponding medicines or equipment.
No one had any objections to this telegram.
When converting it into code, Jiang Bai Mian secretly added two sentences: the location of Shuiwei Town's entrance and the pre-arranged password.
After sending it, they quickly received a reply.
The content of the reply was very simple, with only two words:
"Received."
Having witnessed the entire process, Tian Erhe turned to instructing the townspeople in the room:
"You all go back and rest. Just Zhengfei will stay here with me."
After everyone else had left, Bai Chen said to Tian Erhe:
"Town Chief, would you like to eat something and then sleep for a while?
"The company's people probably won't arrive until tomorrow afternoon or evening."
Tian Erhe shook his head and said with a smile:
"Not for now. That injection you gave me worked really well. I'm not sleepy at all.
"Girl, we've known each other for so many years. How about calling me grandpa?"
Before Bai Chen could respond, he deliberately put on a pitiful look and coughed a few times:
"You see, none of my descendants are left…"
Bai Chen pursed her lips and called out softly:
"Grandpa."
"Haha." Tian Erhe laughed and then said to Bai Chen and the others, "Tell me and Zhengfei about 'Pangu Biology.'"