Due to Brother Killing Chicken's shocking appearance, the Indigenous People surrounding the industrial area quietly left, finally ending the farce of surrounding the industrial area.
There were a total of 471 civilians trapped in the factory warehouse.
Besides the personnel related to the factory, there were also some residents from nearby communities who ran inside when things went wrong.
After all, normally speaking, alliance troops would inevitably occupy the industrial area first to prevent the production equipment from being damaged.
No one knows better than them what the natives are like.
Falling into the hands of the alliance is better than falling into the hands of those natives.
"Thank you... thank you for saving us."
Holding tightly to the hands of his wife and daughter, the pale-faced man walked out of the warehouse.
His name was Antoine, the district chief of the industrial area, directly under the Corps General Affairs Department, with the rank of Ten Thousand Leader, equal to the lord of the nearby settlement.
It is worth mentioning that Lavanka Industrial Zone is a special zone belonging to the Southern Legion, with quite a large industrial park owned by Yavente Central, while the local land is only the colony along the Lavanka River.
The Southern Legion's operation locally is a textbook level combo—first firmly grasp the water source and farmland, then those natives will automatically roll to the factory.
Fang Chang glanced at him, seeing his flat nose, and couldn't help but feel a bit surprised.
"You are not a Weilante person?"
Antoine bowed slightly and nodded, speaking nervously.
"I am an Indigenous person from Bartoya Province, according to your classification habit, my ancestry is in Yavente City..."
This person seems to be well-informed.
Looks like he should be someone who can understand human language.
Fang Chang pondered for a moment and spoke.
"How much do you know about the aliens here?"
Antoine immediately said.
"I have dealt with them for more than ten years, I dare not say I know them inside out, but basically I still understand them."
Fang Chang nodded and continued.
"Then aside from survivors from Bartoya Province, exactly how many tribes are the aliens you mentioned, and which tribe is the main one?"
Antoine's expression paused slightly, looking a bit embarrassed, he hesitated for a while before responding unsurely.
"Uh... at least 2000, no one has really counted them carefully."
Upon hearing this number, Fang Chang was also stunned.
"Two thousand?! What the heck, you must be kidding."
Antoine quickly said.
"Absolutely not! I can swear to Marshal Julius, the actual situation is more than this number I said!"
Fang Chang: "..."
You damn indigenous person from Yavente City, swearing to Julius for nothing!
Standing behind Fang Chang, Old Na and Gnome King Riches exchanged a glance, clicking their tongues in surprise.
"Wow... twice as many as Poluo Province."
"With a smaller population over there... Emmm, headache."
In fact, Antoine really wasn't exaggerating.
Even the 2000 tribes he mentioned were just conservative estimates, and the real situation was far more exaggerated than he said.
The southern legion's labor force, besides the natives originally living along the Lavanka River, also came from the slave traders coming from the south and the north.
And the composition of those slave traders is much more complicated.
Some occupied territories, raided shelters, some were deserters from Poluo Province, others were privately hired soldiers by nobles of Falling Leaves Province, even branches of the Chewing Bone Tribe who migrated there, and frequent small vendors dealing with mutants.
Their footprints were all over the Great Desert, and the "species diversity" over the Great Desert was incredibly rich.
After all, with its bouncing ecological environment, even just two survivor communities separated by one street could completely evolve into two entirely different tribes over 200 years of turmoil.
And precisely because of this complex ethnic situation, Lavanka Industrial Zone has not allowed aliens to live at their doorstep like Evernight Harbor, but adopted a more thorough racial segregation strategy than Evernight Harbor.
That is, colonists mainly composed of Weilante and Bartoya Province immigrants live in beautiful environments with abundant water sources, while the laborers they bought from slave owners live in the factory area of Lavanka Industrial Zone.
After listening to Antoine's story, Fang Chang pressed his brow slightly irritably.
If the local situation is really as complex as this guy said, the alliance's method may indeed be ineffective here.
However, despite the difficulties, the work that needs doing still has to be done.
After sorting out his thoughts, he spoke.
"I understand the basic situation... now the urgent task is to restore order in this area."
Antoine immediately said.
"Please instruct!"
Facing the attentive district chief of the Lavanka Industrial Zone, Fang Chang revealed the Manager's arrangement and improved some details according to his judgment of the local situation.
"...We intend to establish the Lavanka Industrial Zone Autonomous Committee, you are the industrial area's chief executive, you will temporarily serve as the chairman of this committee, we will pay your salary with silver coins, referring to your original salary."
Antoine smiled bitterly and said.
"I don't dare... Just let me know if you have any orders."
"Take what you deserve, no need to be polite with me. Just remember to do your job well and don't take what you shouldn't."
Fang Chang knew very well that the free stuff is the most expensive. Instead of letting these guys take it themselves, it's better to give it proactively.
He paused and continued.
"Additionally, this money doesn't come from us, it's from the Lavanka Industrial Zone Development Fund."
Antoine was stunned for a moment.
"What is the Lavanka Industrial Zone Development Fund?"
He had been the top manager here for so long, but this was the first time he'd heard the term.
Seeing Antoine's confused face, Fang Chang explained concisely.
"You can think of it as the local budget department. Public expenditures, salary payments, and future pensions all temporarily come from here. Moreover, this department is also responsible for disposing of the Lavanka Industrial Zone's inventory assets and funding capacity transformation projects."
After pausing, Fang Chang continued.
"There should be a lot of industrial waste in your warehouse and production line, right? Quickly produce and sell what can make money. Even selling as scrap iron is better for those that can't."
Upon hearing this, Antoine's breath suddenly quickened.
Asset disposal!
The Lavanka Industrial Zone accounts for one-third of the Southern Legion's gross production value!
This is no longer just a huge amount of money; it's practically a gold mine!
Blinded by profit, he was about to take this job into his hands but met Fang Chang's half-smiling eyes.
Instantly, holding his wife and daughter's hand, Antoine felt a splash of cold water over his head, calming his previously restless heart.
He could see the room for rent-seeking in this, and it was evident that the person in front of him could see it too.
Seeing Antoine tightly shut his mouth and suppress his improper thoughts, Fang Chang nodded with satisfaction and continued.
"I'll find someone else to manage the foundation affairs; you just cooperate with their work. The engine's price is the price it should be. We will also send professionals to help keep an eye on things. Don't mistakenly sell treasures as garbage."
"Yes! I will definitely comply!" Antoine eagerly nodded, hearing that the Alliance would send professionals, he dared not entertain any improper thoughts.
Fang Chang looked at this guy helplessly.
He didn't dislike Brother Mole for opposing him on the forum. After all, he had his limitations and couldn't consider everything thoroughly.
Brother Mole might be lacking in practical experience, but he still had skills.
At that moment, Brother Killing Chicken suddenly had a thought, raised his arm welded with a chainsaw, and said in a buzzing voice.
"Oh, right, I need to find some doctors for the people I brought back."
Fang Chang immediately looked at him and said.
"Aren't there military doctors?"
Brother Killing Chicken shook his head and said.
"No, they have no experience in childbirth... Besides, you all know the level of the quack doctors in our player army."
Childbirth...
The expressions on the faces of several army leaders were somewhat subtle.
It's not that they are unwilling to spend money on logistics, mainly that most players play this game with the attitude of "no need to treat serious illnesses or minor injuries," so there is simply no need for skilled doctors.
For example, the Jungle Corps is just like this.
The few military doctors they have weren't even proper doctors but prosthetic doctors who were re-employed after leaving Huge Rock Military Industry.
Old White scratched the back of his head.
"Shouldn't there be some on the corporate side?"
Brother Mole coughed.
"The 100th Division and the 101st Division have both gone north to block the reinforcements of the Southern Legion, calling them back is unrealistic."
Old White continued.
"What about the Expeditionary Army?"
Brother Mole was taken aback for a moment, then slapped his forehead.
"Oh right, they probably do. I'll go ask."
Speaking, he raised his index finger, pressed it against his ear, and communicated a few sentences in the United Human language on the communication channel.
Fang Chang was waiting for his news, and at this time, a young Weilante woman suddenly walked over from the side.
She was very tall, about 1.8 meters, with light golden long hair, wearing a beige shirt and blue canvas pants.
Her face was filled with panic, but she still raised her hand shakily and mustered the courage to speak.
"Um... Excuse me, are you looking for doctors?"
Upon hearing that voice, Fang Chang's eyes lit up, and he looked at her and asked.
"Are you a doctor? What's your name?"
"Jasmine..."
The girl swallowed nervously and spoke quickly, "My colleagues and I can treat them... but you must ensure our safety."
"No problem."
Fang Chang snapped his fingers and looked at Brother Chicken.
"You take her over."
Brother Killing Chicken knocked on his steel breastplate with his fist, looked at the pale-faced girl, and laughed heartily.
"Come with me, I'll ensure your safety!"
Hearing that her bodyguard was this guy, the girl named Jasmine almost cried, looking like she had encountered a chainsaw killer... Though she wasn't entirely wrong to think that way.
However, just as she thought, those indigenous people who looked at her with the eyes of seeing goods also thought the same way.
In this respect, Fang Chang's arrangement wasn't wrong.
During this chaotic period, only Brother Chicken could ensure the safety of these medical personnel who needed to interact frequently with the indigenous people...
...
With the establishment of the Autonomous Committee, the turmoil in the Lavanka Industrial Zone finally settled down.
Of course, everyone knew in their hearts that the reason for the quick end of this turmoil was not because of any autonomous committee, but entirely thanks to Brother Killing Chicken's exaggerated attire.
This was the basement under the floor, where the local survivors were still close to a primitive animal-like state.
These guys practically demonstrated to Edge Shoveling and the alliance's sociologists what the Poluo Province might look like without Lowell.
At least for now, the majority of Poluo Province, under the influence of the Alliance, has successfully transitioned from the late feudal period to the initial stage of "military governance."
And in areas like Jinjaron Harbor, which are ahead, they have transitioned from "military governance" to "tutelage," and are just a step away from the final "constitutional governance."
Maybe after the war ends, the survivors there can completely remove the thousand heavy burdens on them.
However, the survivors of the Lavanka Industrial Zone and the entire Great Desert still remain at a stage not much better than Primitive Man.
It turns out that having no General Lowell is not better than having General Lowell.
It's like having a kidney problem; just removing the kidney doesn't solve anything.
Typically, you also need to replace it with a new one and eliminate the bad habits from previous life.
If Poluo or the Mammoth Nation were to delve into the sociological issues of the Great Desert, it might accelerate their social progress.
But that's their own business.
The Alliance also has things to do, and cannot put food into their mouths and force them to eat it.
That would only backfire.
On the third day after the industrial zone returned to normal order, the Alliance's team of engineers arrived at the airport of the industrial zone aboard the "Overlord" transport plane.
The team included not only engineers from Giant Stone City but also professors from Camp 101 and technical personnel from Ideal City.
Accompanied by District Chief Antoine, the group toured the industrial zone from end to end, getting a general understanding of the park's most core production lines.
For example, the Conqueror No.10 Tank, the 902mm railway gun, as well as fighter planes, heavy bombers, and the shipyards for submarine heavy artillery boats, etc...
That evening, during dinner.
The Alliance engineers, dining at a hotel run by the Weilante people, held tablets in their hands, flipping through the photos taken during the day and the copied materials, their faces full of genuine amazement.
"It's truly unbelievable..."
Fang Chang, dining with them, heard this and curiously asked.
"Is it impressive here?"
The old engineer smiled and said.
"That depends on who you're comparing it to."
Fang Chang wanted to ask how it compared to Jinjaron Harbor, but quickly realized that place was mainly light factories, with the few heavy factories serving the former, so he changed his question.
"How about compared to Dawn City?"
"No comparison."
The old engineer shook his head, continuing to flip through the photos on the tablet while speaking.
"Dawn City has pre-war reactors, No.101 Shelter, and Camp 101, as well as bionic experts from Shelter 100 and engineers residing in Stone City. One in every three workers is a skilled worker with core technical knowledge, not to mention the current experts from the Academy and enterprises. Combined with the Manager's unrestrained funding in infrastructure construction, it's hard not to achieve something in the Dawn City industrial area."
At this point, the old engineer had a few traces of admiration in his eyes and continued.
"But here, they genuinely have nothing. It's just some complex composite junk mines and uneducated slaves... Any conscientious residents of the refuge would refuse to serve the Army, and corporate and academic assistance is out of the question."
"They solved the quality problem with quantity. For instance, the armor steel used in the Conqueror No.10; they couldn't ensure the furnace temperature stayed constant at the technical specification standards, so they kept the production line running non-stop, producing a thousand pieces of steel, then selecting the one that met the quality standards."
"Of course, this is just an inappropriate example, and the actual operation is definitely not as simple and crude as I put it, but the entire production line's design is not much different from what I described, and you can see this throughout the industrial park. If the precision doesn't meet requirements, they increase production, recycle inferior products, and only those that meet the standards are shipped out... That's what I saw."
This was purely an evaluation from an expert's standpoint, without any political stance involved.
However, Fang Chang was puzzled by his evaluation, unsure whether it was a good or bad thing at the moment.
It sounded like he was praising the Weilante's strength, yet it also sounded like they were only able to create a mess by exerting all their effort.
Sipping a mouthful of red tea from the table, he pondered for a moment before speaking.
"So is this a positive or negative evaluation regarding our capacity transformation work?"
"It's a mix of both," the old engineer considered and replied, "I just marvel at the fact that the Weilante truly created a miracle, although this miracle, like the tombs of ancient monarchs, was built at the cost of slaves' blood and sweat without considering the costs... Oh, if I have the opportunity, I'd love to visit Yavente City, which should be the end of the entire supply chain system of the Southern Legion and the real essence of it."
Fang Chang curiously asked.
"Are the production lines here not complete?"
"Some are complete, but some aren't."
Seeing the server bringing the dishes, the old engineer waved his hand, showing disinterest in explaining further.
"Forget it, don't ask. Without some basic knowledge, I can't explain it to you properly."
Fang Chang made a helpless expression.
He indeed didn't understand these highly professional matters.
For someone in the financial sector, sometimes knowing just a bit can be the best state; knowing too much can be detrimental.
After all, knowing too much might lead to overconfidence and the urge to venture into the real industry, starting a factory. Among those he knows in his field, those who manage to retreat unscathed from such ventures are very few; even fewer don't lose their shirts.
Conversely, industrialists diving into capital operations mostly end up the same way, losing all the profit they earned through skillful operations.
Just as he was about to end the topic, the old engineer suddenly spoke again.
"There is one more thing I can't figure out."
Fang Chang: "What is it?"
The old engineer hesitated and said.
"I checked their production records and inventory lists and found many inconsistencies. Although their production efficiency is low, it shouldn't result in such low output."
Fang Chang slightly frowned.
"What do you mean?"
The old engineer patiently explained.
"It means the theoretical output value is three times the actual output! If this industrial park could realize its potential capacity, you absolutely wouldn't have won that easily, and the Southern Legion could have held out for at least another three years!"
"I need to correct you, we didn't win easily."
Fang Chang lightly coughed, wanting to defend his good brothers a bit.
However, the old engineer didn't pay any attention to him and was soon lost in his world again.
The old man rubbed his chin with his index finger, pondering to himself.
"The machines are fine, the supply chain is not an issue, the management methods have their criticisms... but the impact shouldn't be this significant."
The more he thought, the more puzzled he became, reaching up to grab the few remaining hairs on his head, his face full of perplexity and confusion.
"...It's truly strange."