#318 - Chapter 318: Plan Ahead
Don't put all your eggs in one basket.
Currently, both the Huatong Business Association and the Mercenary Guild are just starting out and are facing various constraints.
The game between people is a hundred or a thousand times more difficult than simply developing a base.
No matter when, the difficult part is never the technology, but the people.
Take the Huatong Business Association as an example.
You want to establish bases in various settlements, but will the management of these settlements cooperate with you?
Will they listen to your commands?
Will they obediently hand over resources and crystal cores?
There are only two ways to get them to cooperate: either conquer them with force, or constantly expand your influence so that they need you.
Conquest by force seems simple and direct, but in reality, it has considerable aftereffects.
First of all, where there is oppression, there is resistance.
How many people and resources would it take to violently suppress all the settlements in the country?
Where would these people and resources come from?
Moreover, you would have to be on guard against sabotage day and night, requiring continuous high-pressure rule.
Furthermore, under this approach, people have no initiative.
You would have to provide all the construction costs for the bases and the living expenses for the settlement residents, which would be a bottomless pit.
Secondly, what's the point of doing this?
Establishing bases in settlements is originally to complete the space station mission and ensure the survival of humanity.
Moreover, this is originally a mutually beneficial thing, but the result of violent conquest is that you have to do everything yourself, which is simply thankless.
Therefore, resorting to force is the least desirable option.
For example, during the zombie rat crisis, the council would find ways to get crystal cores to purchase ultrasonic transmitters.
But if a violent conquest method is adopted, who would provide the crystal cores?
If the council doesn't find a way, it would be impossible to deploy the micro-queen bee in a short time.
Originally, it was a mutually beneficial thing, but just because you think it's beneficial doesn't mean others will think so.
Will the council think so?
Obviously not.
Even if you take too big of a step and threaten the power of the settlement management, even the settlements will resist you.
Everyone hopes that the people can be stable and peaceful under their rule.
But the prerequisite is under their rule; without this prerequisite, no one will willingly cooperate with you.
Therefore, the most stable method is to constantly expand your influence so that everyone needs you.
However, the expansion of influence also has a bottleneck.
This bottleneck is the maximum value of influence that the council can accept from civilian forces.
If it exceeds this value, the council will find ways to weaken and suppress it to ensure stability.
There are two ways to break through this bottleneck.
One is to strive for council seats, and a sufficient number of them.
Transform civilian forces into official forces through this method.
This is a game process that requires continuous effort.
The other is to confront the council on an equal footing.
This method faces greater resistance and is accompanied by struggle and sacrifice.
The Business Association has not yet reached this crossroads of choice, but it is not far off.
The first batch of 20 Business Association and Guild branches in the settlements have been completed and put into operation, and at least dozens more settlements will be opened next.
Now that the Business Association's reputation has been established, the construction of branches will definitely be smooth sailing.
By the end of this year, it is conservatively estimated that the Business Association branches will cover more than 80% of the settlements.
This is a good thing, but also a bad thing.
When the influence reaches this level, it is already the limit for civilian forces.
Next, without a doubt, the council will not sit idly by and watch the economy, livelihood, and resources of Hua Country be controlled by a single civilian force, and will inevitably take over.
Therefore, Dongfang Chen must have a plan in advance.
As the saying goes, don't put all your eggs in one basket.
Therefore, on the one hand, he must plan to arrange for his own people to enter the council, and on the other hand, he must prepare for the worst.
Ulan Country is a good choice.
It is large enough, rich in mineral resources, sparsely vegetated, and not close to the sea.
If an underground base is built there, it could become a good trump card.
"What other tasks do you have?" Shentu Zheng Hao asked.
"There is also the task of investigating the specific situation of Barto City, mainly to find the specific location of the cyborg laboratory," Dai Zheng replied.
"Did you find it?" Shentu Zheng Hao asked.
"Found it!" Dai Zheng nodded.
"Good! That's great!" Hearing Dai Zheng's answer, Shentu Zheng Hao's gloomy mood was swept away.
"Tell me quickly, where is it?" Shentu Zheng Hao asked.
"In a temple 10 kilometers north of Barto City," Dai Zheng replied.
… …
"Senior brother, something bad happened, our dung beetle (qiāng láng) legion has been blocked!" Ling Su rushed in and said.
Dung beetle is the scientific name for scarab beetle.
"Blocked? Impossible! The dung beetle legion is definitely the nemesis of tanks, they can't be blocked!" Ling Tian didn't believe it at all.
"It's true, look!" Ling Su handed over a tablet computer.
Ling Tian took the computer and clicked play.
The video was taken from behind the dung beetle army.
From the picture, it can be clearly seen that there seems to be an invisible barrier in front of the army, constantly absorbing every dung beetle that enters the barrier, and then forming a very clear dividing line there.
