Surviving the Long Night: Starting from the Gas Station and Infinite Upgrades

Chapter 76: Reprimand, Seeking External Aid, and Acquiring Weapons

The crowd surrounding Cheng Qiushui parted to the left and right, making way for Lu Zheng to walk through with his gun.

He stood next to Cheng Qiushui and looked around at the people.

He was a member of the Lu family without Lu blood, while these people were merely appendages of the Lu family, far inferior to him.

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but smile.

Upon seeing Lu Zheng arrive, a young man who was leading a family member was about to say something when Lu Zheng glared at him, silencing him.

"We're building this camp not so you can enjoy yourself. You're looking down on the work we're giving you now. What will happen when the camp becomes a server and the service area becomes a transportation hub? Why should you get any leadership positions?"

Addressing the crowd, Lu Zheng sternly questioned:

"When it comes to first-come, first-served, you've arrived before others, yet you do nothing. When it comes to rewarding merit, you don't contribute to the camp, so where will your merit come from?"

The family has given you the opportunity to surpass your fathers' achievements and bring glory to the family, but you don't want it. You can leave the camp now and find your own way home.

I want to see if this lazy deserter has the face to face his parents and relatives.

His words made everyone lower their heads.

"Alright, alright, they're all still young, they need time to adjust."

Seeing that everyone was stunned, Cheng Qiushui tried to smooth things over:

"Like other workers in the camp, the first payment is food, and the second is credits, but it won't be much for now. It will allow you to buy some daily necessities in addition to food."

Everyone and every position receives the same treatment; for now, we're all just cogs in a machine. But this situation won't last long; you've all seen how our station manager operates.

He started making empty promises again:

"As long as we provide good support, he will be at the forefront and handle all the construction issues. The rewards you want will come after the camp is developed."

With Cheng Qiushui's soothing words and Lu Zheng's firm stance, the family members had no choice but to let the two leave, and then patiently looked at the notice board.

"Thanks, brother. I knew this couldn't be done without you."

After leaving Dormitory Building No. 1, Cheng Qiushui patted Lu Zheng on the shoulder, and the latter snorted.

"These people don't know their own limitations and need to be taught a lesson. Now that you have the authority over personnel in the camp, if we work together, we will surely be able to keep Lu Sheng in check."

Hearing Lu Zheng's words, Cheng Qiushui smiled and said:

"The camp is still developing, so what's the point of talking about restraint? The boss hasn't made any mistakes in his current decisions."

Lu Zheng didn't think so:

"Qiu Shui, I don't treat you like an outsider. Do you know why I always call Lu Sheng 'cousin' instead of 'brother'?"

"Tell me about it?"

"I think he and I are the same kind of people, both of us are not valued in our families. Because of this, I only need to think about 'what I would do' to know what he would do."

He must want to take advantage of the fact that the emperor is far away and turn the entire camp into his personal fiefdom. Right now, there aren't enough people and the facilities aren't perfect, but once the camp develops and becomes more abundant, his desire for pleasure will inevitably expand infinitely.

If I were him, I wouldn't even be willing to obey my family's orders anymore; I would want to be the master!

Later, in her room, Cheng Qiushui repeated Lu Zheng's words to Lu Sheng, who was sitting across the table.

Lu Sheng nodded after listening:

"Otherwise what?"

Cheng Qiushui smiled and shook her head:

"Boss, based on my limited life experience, there are countless people who love to be slaves, but very few who dare to sit as masters."

So much so that if someone is not born to be a master but wants to be one, they are considered crazy by the other slaves.

Of course, these two can be replaced with milder terms, such as emperor and subject, boss and employee; you get the idea.

"I understand what you mean, just ignore him."

Lu Sheng waved his hand:

"I came to see you today because I have something I'd like to discuss with you. You mentioned before that I should keep an eye on the movements of the Jiang and Lin families."

Now they've started to act.

Subsequently, Cheng Qiushui learned about Jiang's Forestry.

"In my opinion, this is just normal business dealings, but the Jiang family may use this as a starting point. However, this is a great thing for you, boss."

Seeing Lu Sheng's confused look, he offered an explanation:

"In the Lu family's plan, this place will not only provide a large number of jobs in the future, but also serve as the front-line base for the Lu family's outward expansion."

In the worst-case scenario, once this place is completed, you, the boss, will lose all control.

Lu Sheng nodded in agreement, which was also his biggest worry.

"In my opinion, this is the most terrifying situation. During the construction period, the Lu family keeps sending people over. When you, the boss, finish building the entire transportation station, you suddenly find that most of the people around you are not obeying your orders, but the Lu family."

Cheng Qiushui continued to share her views:

"By then, even if you want to resist, you'll probably be powerless."

Hearing this, Lu Sheng vaguely guessed his thoughts:

"Are you trying to bring in external forces and muddy the waters?"

"To be more precise, it's about achieving balance."

Cheng Qiushui corrected it:

"Imagine this place is on the edge of the Lu family's influence, bordering the Jiang and Lin families. This is the first time the Jiang family has contacted us, and the Lin family will inevitably send people to contact us in some form afterward."

What if both companies send representatives to the camp? They wouldn't be given any management positions; they'd simply be there to conduct business activities under the guise of attracting investment.

"Then the entire camp will prosper at a speed several times faster, and as the camp grows larger, the Jiang and Lin families will invest more and more assets here."

"As long as the power of the Lu, Jiang, and Lin families is balanced within the camp, with each intertwined with the others, the Lu family cannot replace me."

Lu Sheng fully understood. Just as Cheng Qiushui said, the upcoming cooperation with Jiang's Forestry might not be a good thing for the Lu family, but it would be a great thing for him.

"It seems you understand completely, boss. However, there will be many difficulties in the implementation process. The key is to get external forces to continuously increase their investment until they are reluctant to leave."

"This is actually the simplest thing; it's just a matter of development."

Faced with the difficulties raised by Cheng Qiushui, Lu Sheng was not too worried. After this exchange, he was no longer confused about how to arrange the assignment of that specialist.

Seeing Lu Sheng's lips curl into a smile and his eyes brimming with confidence, Cheng Qiushui was also very pleased:

"It seems you already have a plan, boss. If there's anything we need to discuss in the future, feel free to contact me anytime."

"If you insist on mentioning it, there is one more thing."

Lu Sheng composed himself:

"Qiu Shui, didn't you used to be involved in... anti-corporate organizations? Do you know any arms dealers or anything like that? I'm thinking of getting some weapons."