Rotting Land: Survive

Chapter 608 597: An Untimely Phone Call (Part 3)

"Do you think those people were arranged by me?" Gently putting down the tea set in his hand, Liu Fugui looked up, smiling as he glanced at Huang Yong, who bore an expression of doubt.

Indeed, Huang Yong did have some suspicions about today's events, despite Liu Fugui having clearly stated previously that he was not involved.

But based on his decades of following in the latter's footsteps through life and death, Huang Yong knew his master's habits and nature all too well.

Don't be fooled by this middle-aged man's usual appearance as a calm businessman; beneath that exterior lies a cunning and terrifying ruthlessness far beyond what ordinary people could imagine.

Over the years, countless individuals, not to the tune of hundreds but at least dozens, have fallen prey to his schemes, in both major and minor affairs.

Huang Yong had hardly ever seen Liu Fugui make any unprofitable deals.

So, at the news that someone went to demand at the villa, his first reaction was that his master was once again playing his schemes and tricks.

He believed that Liu Fugui's assertion of non-involvement was simply a ruse, ensuring he would play along in the act.

Moreover, this wasn't the first time he had encountered such a scenario; the other party often refrained from revealing the full picture to their subordinates to make the plan seem more authentic. Thus, whenever the plan was put into action, everyone, except himself, would be nothing more than a pawn in his hand.

Take, for example, the recent deal exchanging medicine for food; Liu Fugui had been determined to have him liaise with the villa. Nine times out of ten, it was just a pretense to facilitate the transaction, setting the stage for his men to pressure them.

Just imagine, on one side is a fair transaction, and on the other, a forceful plunder—anyone with a brain would choose the former.

So he anticipated that the other party would contact the Factory, which would allow him to seize the opportunity to control them, forcing them to rely on him unconditionally.

If his calculations were correct, Liu Fugui would next have him inform the villa that they would step in to settle the matter.

At this thought, Huang Yong couldn't help but smile cynically to himself. What a clever calculation, as in this case, there was no need to settle anything—it would just require notifying the subordinates.

Nevertheless, though he had made his judgment, Huang Yong chose not to reveal it. For one, he knew his boss disliked his subordinates being too clever; secondly, he was worried the matter might have been entrusted to He Lei.

If that were the case, Huang Yong would have to consider his position, so to clarify the truth, he feigned ignorance and responded:

"No, Mr. Liu, you said before that the villa was our first established trading line, and you would not and could not jeopardize it."

Huang Yong's words were polished, but just as he understood Liu Fugui, Liu Fugui had a clear grasp of him too.

He could read Huang Yong's thoughts just from his expression.

Thus, Liu Fugui knew Huang Yong's remarks were merely an evasion, but he chose to disregard them, calmly saying, "Huang Yong, tell me, what kind of world are we living in now?"

A little taken aback, Huang Yong was clearly puzzled and replied with uncertainty: "Mr. Liu, we're living in an apocalyptic crisis."

"Hmm, do you know how to survive long in the apocalypse?"

After pondering for a moment, Huang Yong still bowed and said, "Please enlighten me, Mr. Liu!"

"Collaboration!" Sipping the tea with a hidden meaning, Liu Fugui's eyes flashed: "This is different from the past. The prestige, status, wealth, and connections we established are all gone in this collapsed world. Therefore, no matter what we do going forward, we have to act as if we have nothing, and we must bring back the zeal we had when we started from scratch to survive. Furthermore, to live long, relying solely on our own strength is impossible; we must leverage outside forces and engage in mutual benefits to continue surviving. This is why I want you to strive to secure the deal with the villa, so I will not touch them, understood?"

Confidently nodding: "Then Mr. Liu, in the current situation, should we offer the villa necessary support? After all, their opponent has decent weapons and manpower, I'm worried..."

A large wave of his hand!

"No need! We are not a charity organization. We will remain neutral on this matter, and furthermore, we must enhance the Factory's defense efforts these days. Tell the guys underneath to stay alert."

"Understood, Mr. Liu, you can rest assured about the defense work. I've always paid close attention to it."

As the Factory's safety was directly related to Huang Yong's own life, he naturally wouldn't be careless.

"Hmm, very good, anything else?"

"This..." Huang Yong hesitated for a moment before finally revealing: "Mr. Liu, do you think the call I made to the villa today might raise suspicions? Think about it, their battle just ended, and I contacted them right after; such a coincidence..."

Gently placing down the teacup, Liu Fugui tapped the table with his knuckles.

Honestly, what Huang Yong mentioned did cause Liu Fugui to ponder deeply.

As his fingers continued to tap, Liu Fugui's broad forehead gradually furrowed.

After a moment, he suddenly stopped, then instructed: "Alright~ contact the villa again, and say we're worried about the power disparity with their enemy. Suggest that they comply with the opponent's demands. We can provide half a carload of supplies for free."

"Ah?" Hearing about the free provision, and that it was half a carload, Huang Yong instantly exclaimed in surprise: "Really, Mr. Liu? Offering them so many supplies for free, isn't that a bit..."

"You have to lose a child to catch a wolf! Remember, Huang Yong! Those villa folks are far from as weak as you think. If I'm not mistaken, managing to fend off those nine armed bandits wasn't purely due to luck, as Xu Renjie claimed. Therefore, for a team like this, we should seek to win them over, or at least prevent them from becoming suspicious adversaries. Providing half a carload of supplies in this situation incurs little cost to us, but it's a godsend to them. Moreover, it also shows our stance and dissipates their doubts about us! Understood?"

Admiringly nodding, there was no denying that although Liu Fugui was cunning and conniving, he could always turn disadvantage into advantage, securing the greatest benefits with the smallest losses at crucial moments.

In response, Huang Yong immediately replied: "Alright, Mr. Liu, I'll call Xu Renjie right away!"

With these words, Huang Yong pretended to pull out the Hand-held Radio from his waist, and just as he was about to press the button to communicate, Liu Fugui, seated, suddenly raised his hand, making a gesture to stop Huang Yong: "Hold on!!" (To be continued. If you like this work, you're welcome to vote for it at Qidian (qidian.com) and vote for recommendations and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please read at m.qidian.com.)