Chapter 1198 The Yang Family is Powerless

Lin'an New City, Production Workers Resettlement Area

Under the cover of night, most of the production workers' resettlement area was shrouded in darkness and silence, with only the patrol team's searchlights occasionally piercing the night sky.

However, the Yang family compound was brightly lit, and the deep, steady hum of the generator was the unique "background music" of the area.

Although located in the same "production worker resettlement area", the Yang family's place is quite different from the surrounding ordinary prefabricated houses.

Thanks to Yang Zhendong, the head of the Yang family, holding the position of the captain of the 4th Material Collection and Production Brigade (roughly equivalent to a regimental commander) within the semi-military system, the Yang family occupied a relatively independent area.

The entire Yang Family Compound consists of several interconnected and reinforced prefabricated houses and a small courtyard enclosed by a fence. Compared to its surroundings, it is practically a post-apocalyptic mansion!

At the entrance of the compound, members in uniform and wearing the 4th Battalion armbands took turns on duty. Although they were not regular soldiers, they maintained order.

Inside the courtyard, the exterior walls of the prefabricated houses were covered with scavenged insulation materials, and the windows were replaced with more durable plexiglass.

The interior is spacious and clearly divided into functional areas: a meeting hall, a living area, and even a small "warehouse" for storing important materials and blueprints.

The furniture is no longer just practical; it exudes a solid sense of confidence—heavy solid wood desks, several leather sofas moved from an abandoned government building, and a refrigerator powered by a small generator, which stores drinks and some rare medicines for entertaining "distinguished guests."

The "comfort" here is not the refinement of a small, humble dwelling, but a rustic yet practical grandeur built upon the control of resources and the power to allocate personnel.

At this moment, it was the dead of night, and the Yang family, like other families in the Lin'an settlement, was engaged in a late-night discussion about the great changes!

The post-apocalyptic world is not like the pre-apocalyptic world. Every change could be related to the life and death of the family, and they cannot afford to be negligent.

Yang Zhendong, the head of the Yang family, was about fifty-five years old. His hair was neatly combed. Although he was wearing a slightly worn work jacket that matched his status, the fabric and tailoring still showed his former refinement. The slight oil stains deliberately stained the cuffs only highlighted the incongruity.

His face showed signs of weariness from his toil, but his eyes were sharp, and his every move still inadvertently revealed the demeanor of a conglomerate leader who had long held a high position and was accustomed to scheming and making decisions.

At this moment, he sat in the main seat, his fingers unconsciously tapping lightly on the smooth tabletop, surrounded by his core members:

Although the eldest son, Yang Zhenhua, was wearing the same team uniform, he could not hide the traces of a pampered life between his brows; most of his nephews and old subordinates also had clean faces and neatly trimmed nails, which was in stark contrast to the search team members who were really out there braving the wind and rain.

"I'm sure you've all given this matter much thought," Yang Zhendong said, his voice booming as if he were still presiding over a board meeting.

“Father, the Central Plains War Zone… its methods are astonishing. They managed to create such a situation without making a fuss,” Yang Zhenhua exclaimed.

"It's not 'gather,' it's 'press'!" Yang Zhendong corrected, tapping his fingers on the table.

"For the commanders of the two major war zones to leave their territories and personally risk their lives in such a dangerous world as the apocalypse, the price offered by the Central Plains War Zone, or the strength it has flexed, is definitely beyond imagination!"

“We business people all understand that how much you can get at the negotiating table depends on how many bargaining chips you have. The bargaining chips in the Central Plains War Zone are probably frighteningly thick!”

At this point, he glanced around, his gaze lingering particularly on the faces of several of his nephews and nieces who were responsible for external liaison and frequently dealt with the military's logistics departments:

"Our Yang family is different from those who sit in offices and do clerical work. What is the foundation of our character?"

He asked himself a question and answered it himself, his tone carrying the clarity that comes after weathering many storms:

"It's thanks to our own hands, it's thanks to our ability to dig things out of the ruins, it's thanks to our ability to organize manpower to start production! We are employed by the army, and we are doing the most practical work."

"In this world, the wealth our family once possessed, as vast as mountains and seas, has all vanished like smoke... Without the power of money, our Yang family is no better than a fallen phoenix, no better than a chicken..."

"Even this mere regimental-level position was obtained through exhausting all my connections, barely enough to keep my family from complete ruin..."

At this point, Yang Zhendong couldn't help but stand up and point out the window towards the warehouse and work sheds belonging to the 4th Brigade, which were faintly visible.

“My position as battalion commander sounds like a full regimental commander with nearly a thousand men under my command, but you all know in your hearts that we are just an ‘external arm’ of the military’s logistics!”

"At best, I'm just a military outsourced worker, doing the dirty and tiring work that even the military doesn't want to do... 99% of what we collect and produce has to be handed over! The only resources we can use are those meager 'performance bonuses' that slip through our fingers!"

"The military values ​​us because we're still useful and save them trouble. Once their own trained personnel arrive, or they find us inefficient..."

Yang Zhendong didn't finish his sentence, but the anxiety of "trying his best to prove his own value in order to avoid being marginalized" instantly filled the entire council hall.

Everyone understands that the Yang family's status depends more on consistently producing "performance."

“So,” Yang Zhendong’s voice suddenly lowered, containing a sense of helpless desolation:

"The establishment of the committee is indeed a great turning point for the entire Zhou state in its final days, but it has nothing to do with our small and weak Yang family..."

Yang Zhendong's words were like a bucket of cold water, instantly sobering up the core members of the Yang family present...

yes....

The Yang family of today is not the same as the Yang family of the past... to put it bluntly, they are just small-time crooks clinging to the military...

Such a major event... the possibility of the Yang family getting involved is absolutely zero... the impact might not even reach their level...

For them, it's like an ordinary person watching the evening news; even if they know it's a huge opportunity, they don't have the capital to enter the market and gamble...

However, at this somber moment, a middle-aged woman who had been sitting silently in the corner—Yang Zhendong's wife and Yang Xueli's mother, Zhao Yumei—finally couldn't help but raise her head, her eyes slightly red, her voice choked with sobs:

"Zhen Dong...the committee...is so broad...so, does Shirley...also have a chance?"

Yang Xueli, the eldest daughter of the Yang family, is exceptionally capable. Before the apocalypse, she was already a core manager of an important group under the family and was conducting an important business negotiation in Chongqing.

After the outbreak of the apocalypse, they lost all contact, which is the deepest pain in Zhao Yumei and Yang Zhendong's hearts.

These words brought the heated atmosphere in the council chamber to a standstill.

Yang Zhendong's passionate expression froze instantly. He remained silent for a few seconds, then sighed heavily, a sigh filled with a sense of powerlessness based on reality.

“Yu Mei… I long for Xue Li’s safe return more than anyone else.” His voice lowered.

"But look at us, a whole family, how do we make a living now? We rely on our ability to work and produce goods! To put it bluntly, we're just laborers..."

"Our pre-apocalyptic connections are either dead, displaced, or even worse off than us... Even those who are doing relatively well are now in the military's hands... and before the apocalypse, we had very little contact with the military..."

"I've already done my utmost to secure this position..."

"Even if a committee exists, the resources required to find people across most of Zhou Bang are enormous. What can we offer in the current situation to fight for this? A few more boxes of screws? Or a promise to produce fifty more sets of work clothes next month?"

"This amount is far from enough! It's simply not enough to deliver the message!"

Yang Zhendong's words were exceptionally blunt and cruel, yet they were also a stark reflection of reality.

In the face of a military system that places absolute emphasis on effectiveness and strength, their status as "logistics contractors" makes them seem insignificant when it comes to requests that far exceed their value.

"Then... is there really no way for us?" Zhao Yumei's tears finally fell.

Yang Zhendong looked at his wife, a flicker of pain crossing his eyes, but he quickly suppressed it, his tone hardening again:

"Yes! There's only one way: our Yang family must become more useful and influential! At the very least, we must become an indispensable and irreplaceable part of Lin'an New City!"

"Only when the resources we have and the productivity we control can influence the overall situation will people listen to us and our requests be considered!"

"I have already made my decision. With the establishment of the committee, the policy of the Eastern Theater Command returning to the mainland will surely be able to proceed smoothly, and the Lin'an gathering place will inevitably become the future political center of the Eastern Theater Command!"

"And when that time comes, perhaps we'll actually have a solution..."

"Before this, any unrealistic ideas would only be asking for trouble, risking the livelihoods of so many people in the Yang family..."

At this point, Yang Zhendong seemed to have lost his confidence...

The future is indeed bright, but until it's realized, everyone knows it's just wishful thinking. Moreover, in a post-apocalyptic world, every second of delay could mean death...

Let's not even talk about when the Yang family will be able to rise again...

But this is the most realistic path for Yang Zhendong and even the entire Yang family...