Chapter 36:, Knocking
Dennison Henry dropped to his knees with a thud before Gu Hang.
Cold sweat had permeated his forehead.
The Governorâs three questions peeled away his psychological defenses layer by layer until they were completely stripped away.
He had not thought this way.
At least, he didnât dare to consciously think this way.
But upon introspection, even by the instinct of a businessman, hadnât he subconsciously done just that?
He was a merchant, and he was in the business to make money. The Governor, however, was not a merchant and always wanted him to do this and that. The additional conditions attached to the business inevitably impacted his profits.
He truly didnât want other merchants competing with him for this business, even if in the future he couldnât handle the full production capacity himself.
As for going one step further, he indeed hadnât thought about it, butâŠ
If he were the only one with exclusive authorizationâand if in the future he managed to secure the agent qualification of Rubbish Townâpowerful and influential under his command, and continued to grow stronger through exclusive rights, the Governor, looking to expand trade routes and further development, would gradually become more reliant on him. He would become a key official for the Governor; his every word and deed would have a significant impact on the Governorâs strategies, his voice becoming increasingly influentialâŠ
These unthinkable yet inevitably contemplated scenarios were crushed to smithereens by the Governorâs interrogation at this moment!
He kowtowed deeply: âGovernor, I absolutely did not dare!â
Maintaining his kowtowing posture, he couldnât see Gu Hangâs expression, only hearing the Governorâs indifferent tone after a moment:
âReally? Youâre so clever, thinking about such deep matters, yet you canât even imagine this?â
âI didnât dare to think.â Henry no longer dared to play any tricksâtoday, he had truly been dealt a clear lesson, âYouâre right, Governor, I am indeed a fool, unable to see the true nature of things. I should have realized that as long as I work diligently for you, I donât need to worry about those elusive matters. Thanks to your guidance, Iâve completely understood. Please give me another chance.â
After speaking, he lifted his head, looked at the Governor sincerely, and then once again kowtowed deeply and heavily.
Seeing Dennison Henryâs submissive demeanor, Gu Hang finally let a slight smile cross his lips, and his tone softened, âSince you can be a bit smarter and think deeper, thatâs good. Get up now, no need to kneel anymore, Iâll take you to see a new batch of goods. Didnât you say that weapons and equipment are the best commodities in Rubbish Town? I think the standard weaponry widely equipped by the Imperial Star Realm Army would be very attractive to those adventurers.â
Dennison Henry suddenly lifted his head, his eyes brimming with surprise.
After being slapped across the face, this date stuffed into his mouth was unexpectedly sweet!
The standard equipment of the Imperial Star Realm Army!
If he could get a batch to Rubbish Town, wouldnât they sell like crazy?
From the start, Gu Hang hadnât intended to chastise Dennison Henry.
Objectively speaking, the job the guy had done this time was not bad. Everything Gu Hang wanted was there; the thousands of workers had greatly supplemented his labor needs for the upcoming expansion of production capacity.
But the guy was persistent about exclusive authorization, which had annoyed the Governor.
So, Gu Hang did not hold back.
At the same time, he clarified something further: what exactly was Dennison Henryâs position?
Maybe the guy saw himself as a collaborator. As a merchant, it was only natural to want profit from a partnership, to make money for oneself.
But of course, Gu Hang didnât share that attitude.
What he actually wanted to say was:
âIâm not scamming you or bluffing you. Iâm offering you a chance to rise to the heavens in one step. Do you want to keep being a merchant, or become my subordinate, a high-ranking official in the future Planetary Government?â
A regular merchant, even if one has made some money by relying on His Excellency the Governor, how could that compare with the status of a real senior official?
Of course, this was an extremely risky matter. Whether the Governor could truly consolidate power in the future and develop his domain were decisions Henry had to make, risking his own capital investment.
But Gu Hang was full of confidence in himself and generously offered the opportunity to Henry.
At least for now, Henry seemed willing to seize the opportunity.
That was good.
What he said aloud wasnât the important part. After this statement, Gu Hang would carefully observe how Henry would perform in the future.
As for providing Imperial Star Realm Army standard equipment to Dennison Henry for sale, that was something Gu Hang had planned to do anyway, giving him a date to eat just came in handy.
The G9 Gun Family production line wasnât available yet, but it would be soon enough. In fact, they were already using the Black Box Manufacturer for small-scale production.
Afterwards, a complete production line replicated from the mother machine would increase the heavy industry capabilities of the Abandoned Cave Society with another line of armaments.
With the production capacity for alloy plastic steel material being sufficient, the production capacity of the G9 Gun Family would quickly catch up. Before long, they would be able to fully reequip the two infantry battalions currently under Gu Hangâs command.
The phased-out G7 Gun Family would need a destination.
Selling them to Rubbish Town was a good idea, as Gu Hangâs territory was rapidly developing and his demand for raw materials was significant.
Of course, he wasnât planning to sell them all.
He would set aside a small portion, mix them with the local mixed-brand weapons confiscated from mercenaries in the battle at the Mantan River Valley Manor, and make a bundled sale, which should fetch a reasonably good price.
The rest, Gu Hang planned to temporarily use them for the expansion of his forces.
He still intended to add to his military.
Currently, a portion of the newly recruited refugees, after simple registration and organization, would be assigned to the Abandoned Cave Society. Some would join the alloy plastic steel industry line, while others would participate in the construction of the Hot Ash Stone Power Plant.
Although Gu Hang still had enough energy crystal blocks, using these valuable high-energy batteries for industrial production was too extravagant. If there were cheap power plant construction capabilities, then saving the energy crystal blocks would be better.
Apart from dispatching people to the Abandoned Cave Society to fill the manpower gaps in heavy industry, the rest would set up a textile factory here at the Governorâs Camp.
Human resources were still scarce, and yet, under such circumstances, Gu Hang was still intent on expanding his military.
In this Wasteland World, he did not feel secure.
Frankly, everything he was doing was still like dancing on a tightrope.
The Quintet above was mighty indeed, but it didnât belong to him.
He was the Governor, the ruler, but his directly-affiliated loyal forces were still too weak.
If powers nearby, like Rubbish Town or Revival City, were driven to desperation by him one day and launched an all-out strike, aside from having the Quintet strike back in revenge and obliterate a force from the planet surface, Gu Hang would have no choice but to await death.
And thatâs not even considering those low-probability events that were not yet in sight, just the present situation alone posed a threat to his sense of security.
The threat of the mutant aliens.