Chapter 563: Only My Unique Method Chapter 563: New Order (6)

·

·

·

Protagonist:

Chen Yi

"The Channel Committee demands that you go see them as soon as you return."

Chen Yi re-chewed those words, then couldn't help but chuckle and ask, "Who sent you to deliver this message?"

"This is the Channel Committee's decision." The visitor shrank his neck; his tie looked more like a hanged ghost's ornament.

Li Changning also squeezed out from the crowd, snatching the words: "Lord Chen Yi is asking you 'who sent you to deliver the message,' not asking you whose decision it is."

"This..."

"Are you falsely transmitting orders?" Li Changning waved his hand imposingly, and the Martial Arts Hall students on both sides immediately surrounded the man.

Seeing Chen Yi unmoved, the man helplessly showed his credentials and said, "It was the Chairman who, after the Committee made the decision, ordered me to deliver the message."

The Channel Committee is, aside from the various family heads, currently the most powerful institution on the West Continent. Besides the few core Chen Clan families participating in the Channel Committee, collateral forces can have at least one person attend meetings to express their opinions. Out of some consideration for fairness, the Chairmanship of the Channel Committee rotates. However, the Chairman's power is limited, often only having two types: requesting to convene a meeting and presiding over a meeting — not even comparable to the one-vote veto power Chen Yi possesses.

Under such circumstances, the Channel Committee's authority becomes both large and small; everything depends on how it is operated. For instance, right now, the Chairman may have requested Chen Yi to attend a meeting, but as long as the various representatives agree, it can naturally be expanded to mean "come see me."

Chen Yi found it amusing, but this was indeed a serious political problem; in history, some classic famous figures were toppled by problems they didn't care about at all.

Regardless of the outcome, the other party's original intention must be quite evil.

Chen Yi asked with a stern expression: "Who is this week's Chairman?"

Under everyone's stern gazes, the visitor pinched his voice and said: "It is Mr. Zhou Zhao."

"Of the Zhou Family?"

Chen Yi contemptuously curled his lip.

The Zhou Family — let alone being a core Chen Clan family — doesn't even count as a collateral branch; they relied on nepotism to come to the West Continent. They have marriage ties with the Fang Family and Zheng Family, and own several construction-related enterprises, which is why they were able to request entry.

However, it is precisely such small families that fail to understand the power-responsibility relationships within the West Continent, and try to climb up using petty cleverness.

Thinking to this point, Chen Yi said boredly: "Just say I'm busy; the meeting and such can wait."

He had no interest in entangling with such a small family. Besides, he really was busy; facing the New Western Continent with a 1600-kilometer radius, the earlier he started formulating plans, the more steps ahead he would be.

The visitor was extremely embarrassed, neither daring to leave nor daring to persist.

"You go back and report truthfully, that's all." Chen Yi nodded toward the crowd outside and left.

Li Changning stretched out a hand, blocking the Channel Committee staff member, and smiled: "Go back?"

"Th-this is the Channel Committee's decision, ah." The man said incredulously. He was just a small family member who hadn't been on the West Continent long.

Liu Xinyu, suppressing a smile, said: "You've now received Chen Yi's order too; go back and say it."

Letting the soul-lost envoy go, Liu Xinyu caught up to Chen Yi, put one arm around him, leaned her firm ** against him, and said: "You saw it was a trap, or you really didn't want to go?"

"What do you think?" Chen Yi didn't answer.

Liu Xinyu's eyeballs rolled, and she didn't answer either, smiling: "This Zhou Zhao is actually quite interesting."

"How so?"

"You say he's smart, yet he actually wants to use you to establish his prestige. You say he's stupid, yet he actually knows to use you to establish his prestige." Liu Xinyu giggled twice and said: "If you're not careful and go to the Channel Committee according to his wording, his reputation among the collateral families would rise greatly."

She shifted her tone and added: "Guess, is he jumping with rage right now? Or thinking of ways to probe the situation?"

"He probably wants to push through some new agreement."

Liu Xinyu thought, puzzled: "Convene the Channel Committee while you're absent? That doesn't comply with regulations, does it?"

"He can say he invited me, but I refused." Chen Yi disdainfully curled his lip and said: "These officials, besides shirking responsibility, are most skilled at overstepping; let them be proud for two days."

"Privately convening the Channel Committee... is to redistribute Channel Tonnage?" Liu Xinyu guessed at once. Within the Channel Committee's authority worth all their trouble, Channel Tonnage was the most valuable.

Chen Yi coldly nodded.

Even within a single family, collateral branches and the main house contend for power and profit; some internal struggle within the Chen Clan is normal.

It's just that the current degree of struggle has slightly crossed the line.

This can be interpreted as the other party probing his bottom line, but also understood as the other party's fearless and unrestrained audacity; either way, the correct response should be to strike back.

Liu Xinyu had risen through a fiercely competitive secret organization; seeing Chen Yi's expression, she took the initiative to volunteer: "If it's inconvenient for you, I'll go organize the Rhombus Conference Hall to step in."

"No need for you all; Channel matters are Channel matters — does he think what the Channel Committee decides is the final decision?" Chen Yi sneered.

Returning to West River City, he worked as usual and convened a group of core members to discuss response strategies for the Light Curtain's radius expansion.

The fleet is what's most needed right now; second is the safety issue.

As for commercial profit margins, they are completely unnecessary to consider.

The current West Continent will still be in a violent era for quite a few years; no matter what livelihood one pursues, there is absolutely no way to lose money.

While discussions proceeded on this side, the Martial Arts Hall simultaneously made adjustments, and the Chen Family internally stirred quietly,

while the Channel Committee also, as Chen Yi predicted, independently began discussions.

Without Chen Yi present, the few core Chen Clan families couldn't be bothered to attend, or simply sent a representative's representative.

After all, aside from Channel Tonnage allocation, other daily work has permanent staff to handle — for example, Efficiency Official Li Renchao has the power to allocate resource priority and control delivery times; the Channel Committee's influence is minuscule.

Zhou Zhao counts as clever; he anticipated this situation, so he took advantage of his time as Chairman to design things well, and at this moment he proposed unscrupulously: "I suggest that from the tonnage originally directly allocated by Mr. Chen Yi, about 10% should be set aside — that is, 20,000 to 50,000 tons — and reallocated to families with less than 1,000 tons."

The representatives below immediately applauded like a tide.

This benefits themselves; agreeing is never wrong. Many of them, from birth, are used to power struggles between state official departments; as long as they don't make themselves the bird that sticks out, doing things that benefit the department is never wrong — the higher authority can't possibly beat all the birds to death, at most it's a disciplinary violation.

Who hasn't violated discipline?

"To implement this tonnage allocation measure, I believe the Channel Committee should issue a formal document and send it down to the Wharf and other departments. Additionally, I propose setting aside 100 tons of Channel Tonnage as a reward-and-punishment measure for enforcing the policy... please everyone vote." Zhou Zhao is a very smooth talker; at first glance he has a bit of a foreign Priest's aura; beyond his gesticulating, he possesses considerable appeal.

Forming a formal document, although it doesn't mean it can be executed immediately, does lower the risk from a legal standpoint.

A group of people passed the vote with applause.

A certain family's representative, seeing things going badly, rose with a wave of his hand and said, "Embarrassed, I cannot agree with your view. I propose ending the meeting, or re-inviting the Chen Family and others to participate."

"I invited Mr. Chen Yi; he voluntarily gave up his power." Zhou Zhao laughed seriously, "This is a matter beneficial to everyone; Mr. Chen Yi will not oppose it either."

"How do you know?"

"The Chen Family eats the meat, we drink the soup. If the Chen Family opposes, then we should oppose their opposition. You say, is that not right?"

Someone shouted loudly: "Right! Right! Right!"

There are always people echoing agreement; the number is not many, yet they indeed create a momentum as if many people agree.

The family representative who had just opposed took one look and knew in his heart it was arranged by Zhou Zhao. He became even more unwilling to mix in, stepped down from the platform, and said, "I oppose, and moreover, I am leaving. Is anyone coming with me?"

Seven or eight representatives followed and left the conference room.

Zhou Zhao's face turned iron-green; he turned his head, yet said, "Regardless, let's get the documents out first."

He was taking a risk to be the bird that sticks its head out; there is no principle of quitting halfway.

Politics is the same as military affairs; many times it relies on decisiveness rather than judgment. Make a decision, execute it firmly — it is not necessarily the best decision, but as long as you can win, it works. Hesitation and indecision are merely certain loss.

Therefore, major affairs of state and war must not be lightly provoked.

No one can accurately predict what kind of result a war, or a political storm, will produce.

The documents ultimately still got produced, in the name of the Channel Committee, but the final signatories were merely 5 people. Zhou Zhao, as if having obtained a great treasure, secretly copied a few copies, respectively sent them to the West River City-State's important institutions, and simultaneously ordered a trusted aide to secretly carry one copy, quietly bringing it back to Earth.

Zhou Zhao himself held the original, went to find Sima Jian, putting on the air of an ancient strategist, and said, "Mr. Sima, I have come to deliver you a great fortune, a truly great fortune."

Sima Jian was stunned.

Zhou Zhao seized the time, speaking incessantly: "The current situation, Mr. Sima has also seen. The Chen Clan controls all rights on the West Continent, while the Sima Family's ability to come here was already extremely difficult. In the Channel Committee they have not a shred of speaking qualification. If you ask me, there is only one way to break the deadlock, and it is right here."

He knocked on his document box and laughed, "Can Mr. Sima guess what is inside the box?"

"What is it?"

"It is a great fortune!" Zhou Zhao "ah hahahaha" laughed out loud.

Sima Jian's two bodyguards both held their faces stiff, looking as if they might burst from holding it in.

Zhou Zhao laughed enough, then told the day's events, and added, "Now, as long as Mr. Sima steps forward and makes the Channel's various departments fulfill their responsibilities, I dare give you two guarantees."

He raised his fingers, counting: "First, I guarantee your Channel tonnage within three months, over 3000 tons per month. Second, within one year, I guarantee to nationalize the Channel."

"Nationalize?" Sima Jian had long harbored such thoughts, but had not expected it so fast within one year.

The other party's tone was disbelieving, yet Zhou Zhao was greatly encouraged, patting his chest and saying, "As long as we go step by step, gradually nibbling away, with the support of the various families, monopolizing the Channel is something that cannot last long."

Sima Jian asked curiously, "What is your plan?"

"What plan? Just today's kind of thing — is that not enough to prove it?"

"What about the plan beyond that?"

Zhou Zhao was at a loss for words, but only paused for a moment, then turned and said, "3000 tons of Channel tonnage per month — I will give it to you right now. How about it? There is absolutely no downside, as long as you step forward just once."

"Fine." Sima Jian hesitated again and again, then agreed. Although he did not believe Zhou Zhao, at this very moment he also could find no other way to break the deadlock.

The two went from there to the Stacking Area, and began supervising the Transportation Department to execute the Channel Committee's new plan.

Li Renchao could not hold firm against it, and was also unable to control their acting on their own in the cargo area, so he wanted to find Chen Yi to step forward. However, Chen Yi, who usually just sat in the office signing documents and incidentally accumulating Shenjia, could not be found no matter how he searched this time.

……(Unfinished. If you like this work, welcome to come to Qidian (qidian. com) to cast Recommendation Tickets, Monthly Tickets; your support is my greatest motivation.)