Lu Yuan was very satisfied with his plan. He logged into the official website and posted an announcement stating, "Due to server reasons, recruitment for more internal test players will be suspended for two weeks."
In the player community, there was an immediate outcry.
Just then, he saw the lower right corner of his tactical helmet visor flashing. Dan Ta had sent him a private message in the game.
"Executive Officer, don't you think it was a bit hasty to give away mining robots for free? Although we've gained experience from capturing them, from a corporate perspective, wouldn't selling them bring in more profit?"
Hmm...
Lu Yuan thought for a moment, and while the players were still online, he spoke in the public channel.
"Today, I decided to give Red Iron Town 20 mining robots. Do you all feel that this was somewhat inappropriate? It's okay, feel free to speak your minds."
A moment later, replies appeared.
"Yes..."
"Yes."
"I feel like we're being taken advantage of. Why not make money if we can?"
"We've already been friendly enough to Red Iron Town. There's no need to keep doing this."
However, some players held different views.
Old Man Emitting Black Smoke: "This is the right thing to do, I support it!"
Nu He Guo Li Cheng: "I also think it's not a big problem."
Bei Hai Xian Yu: "A reasonable choice."
Alright.
When you're a leader, especially an autocratic one, it's inevitable to be questioned by your subordinates. The key is whether you can convince the majority.
Lu Yuan smiled and nodded, continuing to input via voice.
"If I decided to sell the mining robots, what do you think Red Iron Town would use to trade for them?"
"Alloy, of course," Dan Ta quickly answered.
"If the current inventory isn't enough, they can trade future production!"
Lu Yuan: "Yes, it can only be alloy. But you've forgotten one thing. Red Iron Town's purpose in trading is to improve their lives. Increasing production is just a means to achieve this goal, not the ultimate objective.
"If they buy mining robots, what do they get? Obviously, they get more alloy. However, can this increased alloy definitely be traded with us for various sofas, air conditioners, and large refrigerators?
"No, our current primary goal is to develop military industry, survive, and not dump industrial manufactured goods on Red Iron Town for profit or take their civilian orders.
"At that time, as production increases, the price of alloy will become cheaper and cheaper. Red Iron Town will become a town with very high production capacity but extreme poverty in life. When they previously submitted to Oasis City, they could buy various small commodities to improve their quality of life. After cooperating with us, they might not be able to buy them. Due to this concern, the Town Chief and the influential elders in the town will surely be resistant to the idea of buying mining robots.
"Of course, I could use force to compel them to serve Cangyuan, but that would only result in a slave mine, which is not conducive to increasing production enthusiasm and is even worse than Oasis City's rule. That's not my intention.
"In short, this kind of transaction is difficult to negotiate, and the Town Chief is well aware of this."
Dan Ta suddenly understood.
"No wonder he accepted everything today without any hesitation... But can giving them away for free solve the dilemma?"
Lu Yuan: "I need to emphasize that what attracts me to Red Iron Town, besides the mineral resources, is the people. Giving away a large number of mining robots at once will immediately greatly reduce the number of workers in the mining area. Those miners who are no longer needed can then turn around and work for Cangyuan.
"Security patrols, warehouse management and logistics, transportation, cleaning maintenance and repair, construction, operating production lines, catering retail, clerical work - these areas will require a large number of people in the future. You wouldn't be interested, would you?"
The young players all fell silent.
Most people couldn't stick with these boring jobs, no matter how high the experience points were.
Doing these things all day, being like digital leeks, experiencing double the hardship of laborers, it's better to go offline and play something else.
Dan Ta: "So, that's why we're doing aid construction?"
Lu Yuan: "No, infrastructure aid construction has other purposes. We can talk about that later when we have time.
"Later, I plan to introduce technology to Red Iron Town, build civilian factories and other industries. People from Cangyuan will only be responsible for market decisions and product design, while Red Iron Town residents will be employed for production and management. After receiving their wages, everyone can buy the products they produce to improve their quality of life.
"This way, the economy will truly prosper, the native residents' motivation to get rich will be mobilized, and the massive future infrastructure, military industry, and scientific research endeavors will have material and human resources guarantees."
"So that's how it is..." Dan Ta finally understood. "So, we are now Red Iron Town's angel investors? The purpose of giving away mining robots wasn't just for the ore, but also for the people?"
"Yes."
"But what if Red Iron Town doesn't use those mining robots to protect everyone's jobs?"
Lu Yuan smiled.
"Don't worry, they won't. Mining robots can reduce the accident rate for miners and prevent them from getting pneumoconiosis. Once they've tried them, it will be difficult to give them up, after all, it's hard to go from luxury to frugality."
"This... was all calculated from the very beginning?"
Dan Ta now only felt that the Executive Officer was a terrifying man.
"Hahaha!" Black Smoke couldn't help but laugh in the voice chat.
"I fully experienced this overt strategy when I was young. Back then, foreign capital gave away technology for free and helped build factories, with high salaries and great benefits. Everyone seemed like foolish big spenders with lots of money. It wasn't until we worked overtime every night exporting cheap goods and they were calmly engaged in high-tech, arms, and finance that we realized, damn, they were the truly shrewd ones.
"But then again, we did make a lot of money and learned a lot from this kind of cooperation, at least some people did..."
Victory Male God: "I've learned a lot. But Black Smoke, how old are you? Introducing foreign capital was in the 80s and 90s, right?"
Black Smoke: "Heh heh, let's just say, when I was leading a guild in World of Warcraft in '05, I was already in my thirties. The first thing I bought for myself after I started working was a Sega!"
Dan Ta: "What's a Sega? I only know Jiashi."
Black Smoke: "..."
Jubian: "Well, it's understandable that Black Smoke and Salty Fish can understand this move, but... how did Guo Li Cheng do it? It doesn't make sense."
Ye Xing: "She guessed randomly."
Guo Li Cheng: "I studied finance, I know a little bit about economics."
Jubian: "It seems studying finance makes people bloodthirsty..."
Guo Li Cheng: "Is this little bookworm itching for a beating?! (╯‵□′)╯︵┻━┻"
Amidst the cheerful banter, the players reached a high degree of consensus on the path they would take in the future.
We don't want to engage in colonization, nor do we want to follow the old path of foreign capital opening sweatshops back then.
Based on recovering the scientific technology of the golden age, there can be more efficient, higher long-term returns, and more responsible ways of cooperation.