Yes, Madam Prime Minister

Page 390

General Lu needs their help, no matter what it is. Once he gains their trust, he immediately has the opportunity to overpower the other two.

"With my looks and my wide network of connections, you two good-for-nothings will have to step aside," Bai Dahai thought to himself. He was fair-skinned and chubby, and looked honest and reliable. Moreover, he was involved in many businesses, so he would be useful no matter what.

"Ha, it must be dirty work. Who else but me could do this?" Zhang Wu thought to himself. He really didn't think that business matters required the General's personal involvement.

"We came here because we had to find the Zhuang clan over there, so of course I have to handle this," Wang Gui said confidently.

All three guesses were reasonable, and they were all confident that they could seize the opportunity to take off.

Three days passed in the blink of an eye. Bai Dahai, Zhang Wu, and Wang Gui returned to the area, each leading a dozen or so people, all young and strong ordinary people.

Each of the three men had only about thirty or forty men under their command, and of those, only about a dozen were truly brave and willing to fight, and they were all here.

They run pretty big businesses, yet they only have so few people? In fact, this small number of people is enough to form a vibrant social organization. You know, some lawless gangs in villages with hundreds of people might just be a small group of a few people.

"Let's go." Lu Jianling called out, carrying a bamboo-jointed steel whip in his hand, and left the inn on his own, heading forward.

The three men followed behind, each leading their own men.

Lu Jianling suddenly stopped, and everyone else immediately stopped as well.

With a leap, in the blink of an eye, Lu Jianling arrived beside a large rock more than ten meters away. He raised his hand and gently tapped a rock more than two people tall and requiring five or six people to encircle it with his bamboo-jointed steel whip. Lu Jianling raised one hand, and fierce magic power enveloped the steel whip like a whirlwind. Then he brought it down high into the air and smashed it onto the rock. The rock instantly cracked, then shattered into pieces. The next second, the dozens of still sizable pieces of rock shattered again, turning into countless small pebbles.

After finishing knocking, Lu Jianling didn't say another word and continued walking.

Before long, they arrived at their destination: a flat area on a wide, open riverbank. In three days, the magic array bestowed by their talent had been engraved. Currently, this thing was very expensive, and that was without even taking into account labor costs.

Lu Jianling instructed Liu Xingyi to do some work.

Liu Xingyi had "One-Horned Rhinoceros" Bai Dahai, "Black Tree Frog" Zhang Wu, and "Money Rat" Wang Gui call their people inside, while he stayed outside.

The three of them had no idea what was going on. Having done so many treacherous and harmful things in their lives, they naturally panicked, fearing that this was an attempt to kill them. Despite their fear, they also knew that if Lu Jianling wanted to kill them, he wouldn't need to resort to such complicated methods.

Perhaps they were being used for some extremely dangerous experiments, but even so, what could they do? Beg for mercy or resist? They did nothing. To a big shot like Lu Jianling, they were just stones that could be casually smashed on the roadside.

"Hurry up, don't waste time," Liu Xingyi urged fiercely.

The three men gritted their teeth and made up their minds, and began to give orders to their subordinates. Their subordinates were also afraid because they did not know what was going on, but they dared not resist. Although they were strong and ruthless, and could fight three people at once among mortals, it would be easy for the three leaders to deal with them.

Urged on by the three men, the group of people, who were usually fierce and menacing, were soon all drawn into the circle.

“We didn’t vacate the area; we’re all staying inside. Anyone who tries to run out will be killed,” Liu Xingyi said. At his command, several soldiers raised their muskets and surrounded the area.

For ordinary people who haven't seen much of the world, the intimidating power of firearms is more intuitive.

There were about forty people in the circle, and they reacted differently to different people. The few people at the very back seemed very nervous, with fear on their faces. Although they were only in their twenties, they had actually been with their respective bosses for seven or eight years and had seen some of the world. They had gone from being thugs to being cunning and ruthless, and were no longer the lone lads they were in their teens. Most of the people in the middle were also nervous, but not as seriously. They had only been in the business for two or three years and still had the drive to fight. The people at the very back were also nervous, but they were all new blood in their teens. Amid their nervousness, they were also secretly excited and still believed in the nonsense that if you don't die, you'll eventually rise to the top.

The only thing they had in common was that they all stayed close together, and no one dared to step out of the circle.

Gradually, the ground began to glow, bursts of white light, growing brighter and brighter until the entire circle lit up. A circular pillar of light, with the circle at its base, rose from the ground and shot straight into the sky.

Immediately afterwards, people in the circle began to lose consciousness.

Chapter 905 The Essence of Talent: Contradictions Make It Easier to Control; Extortion

According to current research, talent is essentially a localized, persistent instability of the soul that carries consciousness. This chaotic part becomes the interface of magic. With proper guidance, the soul can eventually become a magical foundation. This magical foundation then brings about a qualitative change to the entire body, allowing humans to become extraordinary beings capable of wielding superhuman powers.

To use a somewhat inappropriate analogy, summoning magic is like a hereditary mental illness, fate magic is like an acquired mental illness, and the vast majority of talented people are probabilistic mental patients.

At this very moment, what this magic array is doing to these Guangxi teenagers is causing them to develop "mental illness."

The gift of talent didn't take too long; however, the group was still in a dazed state and it would take a few more minutes for them to regain their senses.

"Well, Lord Liu, may I ask what exactly happened?" Wang Gui, with his shifty eyes, asked cautiously and softly. He had only dared to ask because he saw that he and his two subordinates in the circle seemed to be completely unharmed, confirming that this was not a deadly experiment. He also sensed a certain familiarity and unfamiliarity with this group of people, and his heart was pounding.

"Do you even need to ask? We've endowed your three subordinates with special talents," Liu Xingyi replied somewhat impatiently.

Upon hearing this, Wang Gui, Zhang Wu, and Bai Dahai were all stunned, as if struck by lightning. Their mouths were agape, and they stood there frozen, as if they had lost their souls.

Liu Xingyi kicked each of them, bringing them back to their senses, and then said, "Don't think that's all there is to it. What's the use of talent alone? Not to mention your side, even in the Central Plains, there are plenty of talented people who can only remain ordinary in the end."

After talent awakening, it will last for a period of time. During this period, one must study and complete the guidance to truly possess talent. After possessing talent, one must also study the basics. Only after completing the basics can one be considered an extraordinary person. Only by mastering the cultivation method and formally entering the inner sanctum can one be considered truly and completely distinguished from ordinary people.

Natural talent can last from a little over a year to two or three years.

Artificial talent, at present, has a maximum duration of about six months, and one must master it within this period.

Given the age and education level of the people present, neither Western nor Seres basic introductory materials are very suitable for them, because they need to study, and six months is simply not enough time.

The system that Falek developed, which combines totem enhancement and magic, is very suitable for them.

It's all about worshipping gods, or more accurately, self-sacrifice and hypnosis.

If successful, one will have physical attributes similar to a first-tier rank, and will also have skills, just slightly weaker.

"Next, there's a simple cultivation method they can do that, once completed, will allow their bodies to reach the first level of the orthodox cultivation realm," Liu Xingyi continued. "Otherwise, what's the use of talent alone?"

"Ah, this..."

"Lord Liu, they..."

"I……"

Bai Dahai, Zhang Wu, and Wang Gui all hesitated, but what they really wanted to say was that they couldn't give these people supernatural powers.

After all, if these people were given extraordinary powers, then what are the three of them? Of the three of them, only Bai Dahai is a proper position, but he is crippled. The other two are not proper positions either. With such abilities, how can they manage this group of people?

Liu Xingyi saw through their thoughts at a glance, "You can also enhance your spiritual power, and with a special method, you can become stronger than them."

Spiritual power enhancement is possible, but it only works for those below the highest level, carries some risks, and can also deplete their potential.

One special method is demonic transformation, which is said to be easy, but Liu Xingyi thinks that this ease is relative, as it also carries risks.

However, Liu Xingyi wouldn't tell the three of them about the risks or consequences.

He has neither this obligation nor this need.

So what if these three are dead? It's not like we can't do without them. Not to mention that each of them has deputies and capable subordinates, it's also clear that some of the people who were just given talents are willing to use their brains.

Therefore, having these three people is fine, but not having them is also perfectly acceptable.

The next step is to use these three people's three groups as a foundation. If there is enough time, it would be good to select and train our own people, but there is not that much time now.

These three men were not of the same ilk, and their subordinates were not exactly the same either. Apart from a very few close confidants, the majority of their subordinates could be roughly divided into three types: young thugs responsible for using violence, honest and hardworking men who did manual labor, and small business owners responsible for running the business.

That makes a total of one hundred people.

Then, using these hundred people, recruit two or three hundred marginalized individuals from this area, impart their talents and cultivation methods, train them, "eliminate" some of them, and finally have more than three hundred people, which should be about right.

The three men have conflicts, and their respective subordinates have disagreements. This is to prevent them from banding together and resisting command.

A group of people who are not organized as a cohesive unit can only be commanded by intimidation. They have serious problems with both combat effectiveness and resilience, but we can't worry about that right now.

As I said before, time is of the essence, just get what you need.

Three hundred-odd people aren't much, but their physical abilities are at the first-tier level of superhuman soldiers. Adding to the several hundred superhuman soldiers already in this army, and with some more support from Guangdong when the war starts, there will be about a thousand superhuman soldiers available.

With his more than 10,000 front-line troops equipped with muskets and artillery, plus some recruited local miscellaneous troops, a battle against the Annamite army would be virtually guaranteed.

The entire Annam Kingdom encompassed Vietnam, Thailand, and Myanmar, but its total population was only around ten million. The troops sent over there, numbering no more than thirty to forty thousand on land, included about a thousand extraordinary soldiers. This was the result of the king and the various banner leaders' lavish investment.

Fighting on home soil, Lu Jianling was confident of inflicting a crushing defeat on the Annamese army.

The only thing to worry about is the sea.

Annam's navy is already stronger than before, while its old rival, the Guangzhou Navy, is currently embroiled in a wage arrears problem.

Those extraordinary individuals in the navy are the kind of people who, even when paid enough, only go through the motions without putting in any real effort, and will run away as soon as things turn sour. What's more, they're now owed wages.

"Sigh, hopefully Ronan can handle it."

Lu Jianling sighed inwardly.

Ronan had said he would solve it, and he had already told her the plan: unite with the officials of the Guangzhou government, and bring in the Guangzhou navy to form a temporary joint military defense committee. After that, the committee would handle the funding issues.

While it's called a solution, it's really just about lending money as the main method, with extortion as a secondary method.

Why should they borrow money? Because of the naval forces' real estate holdings in Guangzhou. Of course, the naval forces don't directly engage in business, but they own half of the shops on the commercial street, and their annual allowances come from these properties.

The bank would be more than happy if they didn't repay the loan.

As for extortion, the targets are naturally maritime merchants and customs officials.

Chapter 906 Two Tigers Cannot Share One Mountain: What is International Spirit? Using "New Elites" to Control the Government

On the morning of the first day of April, Ronan and Ambrina woke up one after the other, put on their bathrobes and slippers, washed up quickly, ate breakfast, and then returned to their room.

Ronan changed his clothes, tied his hair up, put on a crown, gave Ambrina a light kiss, and then took his leave.

Meanwhile, Ambrina, attended to by two maids, began to have her hair and makeup done, as she was about to go out to attend a literary gathering organized by the ladies' circle.

Although the number of female superhumans is only one-quarter to one-third of that of male superhumans in both the West and Seris, those who possess power and wealth can generally still marry a female superhuman.

While it's not very common for wives of extraordinary individuals to hold official positions and pursue careers outside the home like Lu Jianling, and many are simply supportive wives, they are certainly not the type to stay at home all the time.

The literary gathering that Ambrina was going to was organized by the wife of Lü Delin, the current Provincial Governor of Guangdong.

As for the other high-ranking officials, they belong to a different circle.

In such circles of wives, there are usually only a few people. They are all acquaintances, belonging to the same social class but with different statuses. It is virtually impossible for the wives of several high-ranking local officials or top wealthy families of similar status to be in the same circle.

It's funny, but if there's only one tiger in a mountain, it can be friendly and play with everyone. But if there are too many tigers, it won't work; it will only make everyone feel awkward.

Therefore, only small circles formed by wives whose husbands held low-ranking official positions or had some wealth were the kind where everyone was roughly the same, gossiping about those above them while looking down on those below, and occasionally exchanging resources with each other.

Ambrina was an exception; she was a wealthy, somewhat talented foreigner who could also make people happy.

Meanwhile, Ronan and Dinia went to have a small get-together with Lü Delin, Xu Tianci, and Wang Sizheng.

The place was in one of Lu Delin's small gardens.

The opening scene is more like Ronan reporting to the three adults.

Luo Nan has been in Guangdong for less than two years, but he has accomplished a great deal. He has not only restructured, improved, and expanded the iron and steel industry, but his influence is also not limited to Foshan.

He also introduced higher-yield corn, potatoes, and sweet potatoes, and developed organic fertilizer, which boosted the overall agricultural output of Guangdong.

This is extremely important; it is the foundation of everything.

In addition, it also brought changes to the textile industry. More advanced looms improved efficiency and reduced costs, making them competitive with cheap Indian cotton fabrics in the Southeast Asian market. Although the economic center had long since shifted south, Guangdong's population is relatively small, only about five million, so using advanced large machines is no problem for them. However, if Luo Nan were to do the same in a province like Zhejiang with a population of over ten million, it would definitely cause trouble.

At the same time, there are also silk-producing magical plants, which have expanded the scale of the stocking industry, but that's not really a big deal.

It improved the efficiency of the sugar industry, taking this pillar industry of Guangdong to a new level. This stuff can be called one of the most profitable things in the current era.

With a new assembly line production model, it has created a ceramic industry that focuses on mid-range durable porcelain, and its influence extends to the surrounding areas.

Then it also involves the tobacco industry and the liquor industry, which are extremely profitable sectors.

Of course, through these actions, Luo Nan also extended his influence to all aspects of Guangdong. Otherwise, would it have been so easy for him to bring down Governor Ren Jingjiang? In such struggles, skill alone is not enough; one must also have the support of the people.

If Ronan were an ordinary person, the government would have to consider discarding him after he had served his purpose. The industries that Ronan had single-handedly built would continue to operate under the framework he established, essentially allowing the government to profit from Ronan's investment and business acumen for free. As for the related property rights that Ronan controlled, they would naturally be confiscated and divided among everyone.

However, the reality is that Ronan is no ordinary person.

It wasn't just his strength, but also his superb fighting skills. Even the governor was defeated and died mysteriously. Who would want to be the next one?

Secondly, and more importantly, a new group of "nobles" has emerged in Guangdong in the past two years. Luo Nan cannot command these people or even directly influence them. However, if there is any news that is unfavorable to Luo Nan, they will feel that there is a change in policy and may take drastic measures.

Only after these nouveau riche have truly established themselves will they become ungrateful and stop caring about Ronan.

"It's getting late, let's have lunch first," Lu Delin said wearily. He was a man who disliked politics, and after listening to Ronan talk for half the morning, he was exhausted.

“Yes, I’m a little hungry too,” Xu Tianci said with a smile. He appeared very calm. He understood that Ronan wasn’t saying how much he had contributed to Guangdong’s economy by coming all the way to Seris, but rather implying that he now had a strong influence on the economy of Guangdong province. To put it bluntly, no “local tyrant” could compare to him. Right now, he, Ronan, was the host, and they, the high-ranking officials parachuted in from other places, were the guests.

Wang Sizheng smiled and said, "Ha, Brother Luo, let's talk about it after lunch."

He addressed him affectionately because he was closest to Ronan, who had given his descendants their talents, and Ronan was the key figure in bringing down the governor.

At the same time, he also knew that Ronan's talk for half the morning was just a prelude, and the main point was yet to come.

Lunch was simple; everyone had the same thing: a bowl of noodles, a plate of fried wontons, and a cold dish.

The soup base is a clear broth made from old hen, ham, and pork bones, which is then filtered and cleaned. The noodles are made from fish meat with fish lining, and there are also some small shrimp, a little bit of pickled vegetable bits, and some chopped green onions. The seasoning is also simple: salt and a little pepper. It is simple yet sophisticated.

The fried wontons have a golden and crispy outer skin, and the filling is a mixture of beef, pork fat, and water chestnuts. It's not fancy, but at least beef isn't something you can just eat casually.

The cold dishes were rather unrefined, consisting of cold fish skin salad, which was salty, sour, slightly sweet, and a little spicy. Ronan didn't mind, and even liked it a bit, but to be honest, it didn't seem like something Lü Delin would eat. Like Liu Menglong, he came from a wealthy family in Jiangnan.

“I don’t think there’s any value in good food, and street stalls can’t make it taste like this,” Lü Delin said.

Ronan, also a food enthusiast, couldn't help but nod. "The fish skin isn't from any particularly valuable fish, but without such good soy sauce and vinegar, it's impossible for a street stall to make something like this."

"Hahaha, absolutely right, absolutely right." Lu Delin laughed loudly. "Mr. Luo is indeed a man who loves life. I still can't understand why Mr. Luo, with his strength and wealth, would bother to do such things? Wouldn't it be better to take his beautiful wives and concubines to travel around the country and enjoy the scenery?" He had long forgotten about the time when Luo Nan beat him up. Instead, he felt that Luo Nan knew how to enjoy life and shouldn't live such a tiring life.

Ronan took a sip of the "noodle soup" and said, "Lord Lü, aren't you in a high position now?"

After finishing a bite of fried wonton, Lü Delin finally answered, "It's really a helpless situation. I never wanted to be an official, but who knew I would end up in this position so inexplicably? A bunch of people are pointing fingers at me, and I can only wait until my family's descendants rise up before I can resign."