It turned out Jiang Ye had worried for nothing.
The people sneaking over each day were genuinely doing so.
There were two reasons for the surge in the number of defectors.
The first reason was that news of the previous climate weapon attack had spread throughout the entire tropics.
After all, the tropical rainforest being swallowed by a blizzard was a phenomenon unseen in a millennium, and its spread was extremely rapid.
As a result, many Gante army soldiers and local civilians clearly realized that the Jiang Ye army's technology was too advanced to be defeated. They decided it was better to run early to avoid being killed in a final decisive battle.
The second reason was the instigation by spies Jiang Ye had previously sent.
Many spies had secretly established smuggling organizations, spreading various rumors and helping locals to defect.
This "help" was actually quite simple: providing a guide to lead people over mountains and across ridges towards the border.
In areas with vast lakes and rivers, small motorboats were provided for night trips across the river to the opposite bank.
Most ridiculously, the spies had actually gotten rich through these smuggling organizations.
Each defector was charged per head. Initially, only a symbolic few hundred yuan was collected. Later, as more defectors arrived by word of mouth, the prices soared, reaching tens of thousands of yuan, with a further upward trend.
Even more absurdly, seeing the spies' smuggling organizations making money, some Gante residents seized the business opportunity and quickly established numerous smuggling organizations, engaging in price wars.
Moreover, compared to the discreet spies, these local residents were bolder, even extending their business into the Gante army itself.
How to get Gante soldiers to lay down their arms and defect?
It was simple: bribe Gante officers, bring them into the fold, and make them shareholders in the smuggling organizations.
When Gante soldiers defected, they had to pay an extra large sum to leave the army. Half of this money was given to the officers, who then turned a blind eye.
When the higher-ups investigated, the officers, who had become millionaires, would simply flee and defect to Jiang Ye's territory.
As their competitors' businesses became more prosperous, the spies became anxious and submitted reports to Jiang Ye, requesting his assistance.
Jiang Ye read the reports and found them both amusing and exasperating.
He had to admit that the spies sent behind enemy lines were all talented individuals.
While completing their missions, they could also make money on the side, turning a serious military and political problem into a trivial business, which in turn spawned a market.
Jiang Ye decided to summon the representatives of the spies involved in smuggling to discuss the matter.
...
Three days later.
Aboard a Nebula-class warship above Wheeler Star, in a small conference room.
Jiang Ye pushed the door open and entered.
Three people stood up with a rustle, perfectly aligned, saying, "Greetings, Commander!"
"Hello, please sit," Jiang Ye said, pulling out a chair and sitting down.
"Let me identify you," Jiang Ye scanned the three men before him. "Jia Tianrui, Group Leader of the First Phase Agents. You've received one collective first-class merit and one individual second-class merit before."
"Yes!" Jia Tianrui, a plump man resembling the Maitreya Buddha, said with a smile. "It's worth all the hardship I've endured for Commander to recognize me."
"Yan Huan, Group Leader of the Second Phase Agents. One individual second-class merit," Jiang Ye shifted his gaze.
Yan Huan, a beautiful young woman with flowing eyes, nodded charmingly, "Thank you, Commander, for remembering me."
"Du Bois, Company Commander of the Gante Army's Special Agents. After short-term training, you are now a double agent and have received one individual third-class merit," Jiang Ye stated.
"Actually, I'm a single agent. I'm your loyal subordinate, and my actions in the Gante army are just for show," Du Bois was an old man with graying hair, wearing gold-rimmed glasses, exuding the aura of a villainous boss.
"I've read all the reports you've submitted. I know you've done a tremendous amount of work. When the war ends, you will be rewarded with promotions and honors. You will not be treated unfairly," Jiang Ye said. "This meeting is primarily to discuss the issue of defectors."
The three agents nodded repeatedly, unsure if they were more grateful for the potential promotions or eager to discuss the defectors.
"You've all established smuggling organizations and sent Gante people to the border, and you're even making money. I'll tentatively call them 'smuggling companies,' although such companies are illegal. However, based on your reports, your operations truly resemble companies," Jiang Ye said. "Boss Yan Huan, your company is the largest. Last week, you transported over twenty thousand defectors. Please start by explaining the current situation, any related issues, and what assistance you need from me."
Yan Huan's eyes were serious. "The number of defectors is still increasing. Although this phenomenon is already widespread, it might just be the beginning. I've communicated with group leaders in major cities, and they say that on buses, in restaurants, and on street corners, people are often heard discussing defections. This has become an open trend."
"Doesn't the Gante army prohibit such discussions?" Jiang Ye asked.
Yan Huan shook her head. "The areas where we operate are mostly border regions, far from the central government. Even Gante soldiers are discussing defections, so no one is managing the public's discussions. Everyone is well aware that with the resumption of hostilities, missiles will soon fall on their heads. The pressure to survive is a very real issue."
"Since this trend of defections is just beginning, do you have enough personnel?" Jiang Ye asked.
Yan Huan smiled faintly. "In fact, we've been short-handed for a long time. We only have a small number of agents working in the smuggling companies because most agents have other missions or are temporarily unable to disengage. As the number of defectors increased, we had to recruit local people to join us. Now, only 5% of the employees in the smuggling companies are agents; the remaining 95% are locals."
"What kind of people have you recruited?" Jiang Ye asked.
"We have all sorts of people. As you said, it truly resembles a company. For example, we have finance personnel responsible for collecting money from defectors and adjusting the daily prices based on the number of defectors. The price varies each day."
"We have public relations personnel, half of whom are from the Gante military police or their families. They are responsible for infiltrating other Gante military and police to prevent local forces from causing trouble for us. The other half are those with good interpersonal skills, like salespeople and insurance agents, who are responsible for attracting clients in various parts of the city and receive commissions for each client brought in."
"We even have cleaners, equipment maintenance workers, and cooks to ensure the company's operations," Yan Huan said. "We are like a small but complete company. Our total employee count has reached over 2,800, and we are still short-handed."
Jiang Ye chuckled. "Your company is doing quite well. Are you planning to go public?"
Yan Huan smiled sheepishly. "The profits, apart from being used for agent activities, are all submitted in the end."
"The money you earned through your own efforts can be distributed among yourselves. The army doesn't lack that small amount of money," Jiang Ye said with a smile. "I have only one requirement for these profits."
The three agents looked at their commander earnestly, their expressions tense as they awaited his instructions.