Chapter 1094: Lightening Xia Qing's Load

After Yang Benming finished speaking, it was Base Commander Qi Zhongye's turn to state his position.

He first affirmed the new territory model combining "private territories + public planting centers," then offered concrete support: "The Finance Bureau, Housing and Construction Bureau, and Personnel Bureau will fully cooperate with the construction of planting centers outside the safe zone…"

After offering concrete support, they arrived at the final agenda item of the morning meeting. Qi Zhongye spoke gently, "If anyone has comments or suggestions on the new territory policy, feel free to raise them now. Let's pool our ideas."

Although the base commander had asked "everyone," those present were all sharp enough to know who was supposed to speak next.

Sure enough, the Territory Management Department head sitting on Zhao Baolin's other side, Tian Jiawen, first tearfully thanked the base commander and the director on behalf of Hui-3's hungry residents and the hardworking lords for their dedication, then began, voice quavering with emotion, to recount how he had led the Territory Management Department staff in overcoming countless difficulties to carry out their superiors' orders.

When he blew his nose for the third time, the director could stand it no longer. "Minister Tian, we all know how hard you've had it and what difficulties you've faced, but meeting time is limited. Stick to the key points."

"Yes." Tian Jiawen got straight to the point. "Base Commander, Director, will the newly established planting center be placed under the Planting Management Department's jurisdiction like the Ninth Center, or…"

This was the most critical issue in this reform, because the four new planting centers involved recruiting personnel and building infrastructure—a heavy workload, but with even fatter pickings.

While Tian Jiawen was talking nonsense, the Planting Management Department head Zhao Baolin, who had been waiting to follow him in stating his position, also stopped writing and looked up.

Qi Zhongye spoke. "This new policy task is urgent and difficult. Director Yang will take direct charge." After answering Tian Jiawen's question, the base commander turned to Yang Benming and said, "As for whether to set up a dedicated management department for the planting centers outside the safe zone, you can discuss that among yourselves later?"

"Yes." Yang Benming agreed. The base commander was busy too. Once the broad direction was set, how to carry out the work was the Agriculture Department's business.

At this, both Tian Jiawen and Zhao Baolin deflated. The planting centers outside the district would be under the director's direct command, so they had nothing to fight over. The page Zhao Baolin had just written was a complete waste.

The investigation team leaders, who came from a military background, could no longer contain their excitement—especially Luan Jun of the Northern Third District. Seeing that Tian Jiawen had finished and Zhao Baolin showed no intention of speaking, he asked, "Base Commander, Director, will the Northern Third District also get iron-mesh walls built?"

Although a four- or five-meter-tall iron-mesh wall was far less defensive than the base safe zone's ten-plus-meter reinforced concrete walls, having one was better than nothing.

In the video Xia Qing had just shown of the Northern First District's disaster response, the wild beasts drawn by scent to the territory's edge had been blocked by the iron-mesh wall.

At this, Xia Qing also looked up.

Qi Zhongye answered the question directly. "Our fiscal budget is tight. This year we can't divert funds to build walls for the territories. We encourage districts and territories to mobilize their lords to gather local materials and build their own."

In truth, for a base this large, it wasn't that they couldn't afford the points to build iron-mesh walls. The current focus of base work was resisting natural disasters and providing basic food, shelter, and medical care for the grassroots population.

It was precisely because, during the catastrophe, the nation lacked the manpower and material resources that they had offered up vast tracts of land, with generous policies and legal protections, to encourage bold citizens capable of self-defense to step outside the safe zone and farm—expanding crop acreage and improving the food quality of ordinary people.

Iron-mesh walls couldn't stop large fierce beasts, let alone bandits intent on invading territories to seize grain. Walls like those around the safe zone cost far too much, so the base wouldn't allocate funds to build iron-mesh walls for the territories.

The iron-mesh wall around the Northern First District territory had been funded by the Hui-2 Chonglian Group. Other districts wanting walls would have to figure it out themselves.

Luan Jun's disappointment was written all over his face. He answered with a "Yes."

Having recovered, Zhao Baolin glanced at Xia Qing beside him—far too young yet holding great power alone—and began his own remarks. After fully expressing his support for the territory reform and noting that the safe-zone Planting Management Department's tasks were heavier and harder than the Territory Management Department's, Zhao Baolin naturally steered the topic to Zhang San.

"In the Northern First District's disaster response, Lord Seven and his research team played a critical role. I think we should, at the institutional level, lay out in detail the responsibilities and obligations Lord Seven's territory should shoulder in future disaster response work, to minimize the base's personnel casualties and property losses."

Everyone knew that Professor Fu Tianfeng—the top research heavyweight with the strongest research capabilities and highest prestige, who had moved over from Hui-1—lived in Hui-3's Seventh Territory. But everyone also knew Fu Tianfeng had an eccentric temperament and hated being disturbed while researching. For peace and quiet, he had even changed his name.

So the Hui-3 staff could only pretend not to know that a heavyweight was living inside the Seventh Territory.

Hearing Zhao Baolin bring the heavyweight out into the open, the meeting attendees, Xia Qing included, all looked toward the base commander.

Qi Zhongye, in full military uniform, wore a solemn expression and gave a direct response. "Lord Seven's research team is undertaking multiple national-level major scientific research projects vital to the national economy and people's livelihood. Currently, the Seventh Territory's laboratory is directly supervised and governed by the relevant Red City departments. Not just our base—even the Hui City base commander has no authority to interfere with or inspect the Seventh Territory's research projects."

The attendees were all stunned. They knew Fu Tianfeng was impressive, but they hadn't expected him to be so impressive that he could ignore even the Hui City base commander.

Zhao Baolin nodded repeatedly, wearing a chastened expression.

Expressionless, Xia Qing straightened her back. Third Brother, worthy of being a heavyweight standing at the very top of Blue Star's pyramid—my idol!

After formally introducing Fu Tianfeng and his research team in public for the first time, Qi Zhongye looked at Xia Qing and said in a gentle voice, "Without my approval, no Hui-3 base department staff other than Xia Qing may disturb Lord Seven. Of course, if a major disaster of high risk or above occurs within our base, I will send Lord Seven an emergency assistance request, asking him to provide emergency aid within his capabilities."

The heavyweight's devoted fan Xia Qing nodded along with everyone else.

Zhao Baolin continued, "Hearing you explain it, I now understand the strategic importance of the Seventh Territory's laboratory. I was rash earlier. The fact that Lord Seven, in the midst of his busy schedule, has taken time to serve as the chief researcher of the Hui-3 Pharmaceutical Factory and the person in charge of the Ninth Center and Mountain Fifty, making outstanding contributions to Hui-3's construction and disaster response—I'm truly moved and full of admiration."

After expressing his admiration for the great Fu, Zhao Baolin turned to Xia Qing. "That Xia Qing has earned Lord Seven's trust and been entrusted with such important tasks, becoming the vital bridge and link connecting our base with Lord Seven, is our base's good fortune. However…"

Worry on his face, Zhao Baolin shifted his tone again. "It's just too hard on little Xia. She's now both a lord and the manager of the Ninth Center and the Mountain Fifty experimental area, busy from dawn to dusk. But a person's energy is finite. She does her utmost to run the Ninth Center in perfect order, so it's inevitable that small flaws appear in other areas."

After expressing his concern for Xia Qing, Zhao Baolin pointed straight at her work shortcomings and the insufficient farmland reclamation. "During the second Deadly Rain, the spread of high-risk plant seeds from the Mountain Fifty experimental area nearly caused uncontrollable, severe consequences. Also, although little Xia is the lord with the largest land area in our base, she has reclaimed less than 20 mu of farmland."

"Of course, I'm not raising these points to blame little Xia. Given her age and seniority, she's already done an outstanding job." Zhao Baolin looked at Xia Qing with an appreciative gaze and delivered his key point. "I bring these up at the meeting because I feel an outstanding young talent like little Xia should be carefully cultivated and allowed to focus her energy on big things."

Even though the Ninth Planting Center might also be placed under the director's direct jurisdiction, it was still under the Planting Management Department's jurisdiction for now. As Planting Management Department head, Zhao Baolin naturally had to care for and look after his subordinates—to lighten her load.

To be fair and objective, he hadn't mentioned how Xia Qing had driven the Fourteenth Lord of the Northern First District mad the day before yesterday. Everything he said was fact; there was nothing wrong with his remarks!

Zhao Baolin had to keep pumping himself up to keep his expression in check, wearing a kindly, talent-appreciating look as he gazed at Xia Qing, trying to recover the face he had trampled underfoot before the base commander and director came in.

She had said Zhao Baolin had been off the moment he walked in today—here was where he'd been waiting for her.

Xia Qing, who always wore an expressionless face in public, slowly curved her lips and smiled soundlessly.