Chapter Seventy-One: Cooperation

That evening, many settlement leaders still lingering in Silver City saw an advertisement from the local television station displayed on the screens in their rooms.

"Tomorrow, the Star Chamber of Commerce, led by President Lin Zhongqing, will depart for five settlements to provide security services. Our scope of business includes... We welcome cooperation via radio frequency XX; the first ten partners will enjoy significant discounts."

Many saw this advertisement, and even more discussed it privately. At least Fan Bei overheard some conversations.

"Star Chamber's security services should be more reliable than those of the Silver Chamber, right?"

"Competition is good. The Silver Chamber has a reputation, but their methods are too ruthless."

"Exactly. Anything is better than a monopoly."

As settlement administrators, none were fools. Everyone knew, more or less, what the Silver Chamber was up to. Through these discreet exchanges, they were subtly reminding the Chamber to conduct itself with more decorum in the future.

Fan Bei thought it over, deciding not to waste this precious chance for communication.

He went to the reception desk of the Welcome Pavilion, asked the attendant for the room number of the visitors from Copper Fortress, and successfully contacted Lang Sheng. They agreed to meet in half an hour.

Thirty minutes later, Fan Bei arrived at room 206 on the second floor and knocked three times.

A slender man opened the door.

"You must be Mr. Fan. Please come in, the president is already waiting."

"Thank you. Judging by your voice, you must be Mr. Feng, am I right?" Fan Bei sized him up, probing gently.

"My, Mr. Fan, you have a keen ear and a sharp memory. We only spoke once on the radio, and you remember me," Feng Erjin replied, his brow wrinkling in a smile.

"It's mainly thanks to your warm hospitality, Mr. Feng."

Exchanging pleasantries, the two entered the living room. As expected, Lang Sheng was waiting on the sofa. Upon Fan Bei’s arrival, he stood to greet him.

They shook hands and took their seats.

"I apologize for the abrupt visit; please accept this small token as a sign of respect," Fan Bei said, placing the exquisite gift package sent by Xie Bo’s staff on the glass table.

"Haha, Mr. Fan, you’re very gracious," Lang Sheng replied, not minding the gesture and patiently asking, "May I ask what brings you here today?"

"President Lang, you are modest. I come with sincere intentions, hoping to ask your advice on some matters and to establish a long-term, friendly business partnership between our settlements," Fan Bei said earnestly.

Lang Sheng leaned back on the sofa, lit a cigarette, and blew a satisfied smoke ring, feeling pleased.

It seemed his earlier display of goodwill had paid off; already, allies were approaching him.

He didn’t mind supporting Fan Bei a little, provided Copper Fortress’s interests weren’t compromised. He played the part of the good guy, but he wasn’t truly benevolent. The more he understood the Good Person System, the more he realized that as long as he avoided obvious violations—like murder or arson—and performed ordinary acts of kindness, he could get by. The system couldn’t distinguish his true motives.

Rather than reforming for the better, he had become a skilled hypocrite—his duplicity deepened by the system’s real-time monitoring.

"Mr. Fan, if you have any questions, as long as they don’t touch upon the fortress’s secrets, I’ll do my best to answer," Lang Sheng said, extinguishing his cigarette and smiling warmly.

"I’ve heard people are considering cooperation with the Star Chamber. I wonder, would that provoke retaliation from the Silver Chamber?" Fan Bei asked, looking concerned.

"Haha, Mr. Fan, you worry too much. After this open confrontation, the Silver Chamber has acknowledged Star Chamber’s foothold. Further cooperation won’t bring retaliation, neither overt nor covert," Lang Sheng replied confidently.

Fan Bei feigned confusion. "Oh? How so? I’d appreciate your guidance, President Lang."

"Haha, when Star Chamber was first established, we didn’t immediately cooperate, giving Silver Chamber time to act on their own. Now, they can’t suppress Star Chamber, and they have only themselves to blame. Before Star Chamber is crushed through commercial means, they won’t target us. If they do, it would cause widespread panic and affect a metric called ‘commercial vitality.’"

"Commercial vitality? What’s that?" Fan Bei seized on the term.

His intuition told him that this seemingly ordinary concept, one he’d heard often in his previous life, might answer many current mysteries.

"Oh, it’s a metric always mentioned in Silver Chamber’s annual and quarterly reports, sent to every partner. What it truly signifies, I’m not sure. But I do know that if it drops sharply, all Silver Chamber executives face harsh reprimands, and could even be dismissed," Lang Sheng said, shaking his head.

Fan Bei understood and asked, "Thank you for the explanation, President Lang. But given their strength, why didn’t they just unify the region by force? Wouldn’t that boost ‘commercial vitality’? A unified market, currency, and administration would foster prosperity."

Lang Sheng’s expression grew serious. He looked around, and Feng Erjin nodded, indicating it was safe to speak.

He spoke fiercely: "I can’t speak for others, but Li Xing and Xie Bo are the biggest proponents of military unification. Their boss, however, forbids it—he won’t permit direct military action against other settlements. So, they never succeeded, though with underhanded tactics, they managed to directly control quite a few settlements. Only in the past two years have they restrained themselves."

His words carried barely contained anger, suggesting intense past conflicts, likely close to losing Copper Fortress itself.

"Their boss? The mysterious guarantor named in their contracts?" Fan Bei pressed.

His only comment on Lang Sheng’s sudden rage was: a crow calling a pig black.

If he hadn’t installed the Good Person System for Lang Sheng, this man would be even worse than Xie Bo.

"Exactly. In fact, I’m grateful to their boss," Lang Sheng said, shifting to a respectful tone. "They say it’s easier to see the King of Hell than his minions. Nobody has met their boss, but he strictly follows business rules. Even if his products can’t compete, he won’t resort to force, and he sometimes makes industrial concessions to boost the development of nearby settlements."

Fan Bei’s eyes were opened by this revelation; the trip had indeed been worthwhile.

"Thank you for your guidance, President Lang. It’s like the fog has cleared—I feel much more at ease," he said sincerely.

"It’s nothing. I imagine Xie Bo has caused you considerable stress these past weeks," Lang Sheng said sympathetically.

Fan Bei smiled, and the two chatted further, mainly about long-term business cooperation.

Lang Sheng suggested Fan Bei’s settlement should develop valley agriculture. Copper Fortress would buy farm products long-term and export industrial goods in return.

Fan Bei nodded, showing no intent to compete, content to farm.

Go ahead and develop; in the end, ninety-five percent of the profits will be mine...

In a pleasant atmosphere, they signed a complementary cooperation agreement. Copper Fortress would send personnel and agricultural experts to help Fan Bei plan valley agriculture development.

Meanwhile, Fan Bei would regularly import agricultural materials and industrial products from Copper Fortress each year.

After signing, Fan Bei left room 206 with satisfaction.

Lang Sheng gazed out the window and asked, "Erjin, what do you think of him?"

"He seems easy to control. What puzzles me is his apparent lack of ambition. Has he been reclusive so long that he only wants to be a homebody?" Feng Erjin replied earnestly.

Lang Sheng nodded. "You’re right. People like this lack a sense of security. Once they have it, they lose motivation. My words just now should have made him relax—he’ll find a big tree to lean on, hand off the management, and enjoy a comfortable life."

"Which side will he rely on? Surely not us."

"Of course not. He’s friendly with us only because we’re neighbors. The tree he’ll choose is Lin Zhongqing."

"Why?"

Feng Erjin was surprised; wouldn’t most choose the established Silver Chamber?

"Because, as you said, he wants to be a homebody. Lin Zhongqing is beautiful and well-born... I’ve read enough to know she’s the ideal object of admiration for these homebodies. Otherwise, why did he first ask if cooperation with Star Chamber was risky?" Lang Sheng said seriously.

"You’re wise, big brother," Feng Erjin said, convinced.

"I was only joking—don’t take it so seriously," Lang Sheng laughed. "The real reason is his fear of the Silver Chamber..."

Feng Erjin scratched his head, looking abashed.

The next day, as they left, they saw a new Silver Chamber advertisement featuring a string of familiar client names, with the last one clearly labeled ‘Settlement 364.’