You were supposed to hoard supplies, why the heck did you hoard zombies!

Chapter 296 Cooperation (2)

Apart from these short-lived vegetables and fruits, the farm's storage also held at least several dozen tons of raw grain. Although the taste wasn't great, it could be eaten directly with just a little processing.

This was the direct reason why the company decided to make the first move against these farmers.

They were too wealthy.

And yet, their strength was nothing remarkable.

Compared to other similarly weak settlements, they might be considered strong, but in the eyes of the company at that moment, a dozen or twenty armed guards really meant nothing.

Naturally, some in the company suggested sending in the combat department's soldiers to simply bulldoze through the situation.

But in the end, it was vetoed by Zhang Ye.

The reason was simple.

He feared startling the snake by hitting the grass.

At this moment, all the major settlements were in a state of nervousness.

Any slight movement could not be concealed from those constantly monitoring the surroundings, and if the company showed any intention of annexing all of the Jiangbei District's settlements, those people might very well band together in resistance.

Or they might simply choose to side with Li Wanhao.

With the rat plague imminent, the more critical the moment, the clearer Zhang Ye understood that he must not be hasty.

Haste could lead to impulsive actions, and impulsive actions could lead to disaster.

If a conflict did occur, the company might very well be mired in the quagmire of war, and by then, it would be too late to think of resisting the impending rat disaster, let alone relocating to the nearby towns and villages.

Therefore, Zhang Ye had certain premises in mind for dealing with this matter right from the start.

That was to resolve it as peacefully as possible.

If intimidation didn't work, then tempt with benefits.

If temptation failed, seduce with charm.

If charm still didn't work, then let them die. Directly incite a rebellion among the slaves below, then lead these enslaved survivors to the base.

The farmer surnamed Liu was obviously not a minor character who would be easy to deal with.

He was full of doubts about the two men from the company.

Big Beard and Hou Shubin were equally aware that gaining the farmer's trust wasn't going to be easy. Faced with the farmer's suspicion, they needed a foolproof plan to dispel his concerns.

With a slight smile, Hou Shubin slowly said, "Farmer Liu, I understand your cautious attitude. In this post-apocalyptic world, trust is a luxury. But we are here not to conquer, but to cooperate and achieve mutual gain. The threat of the rat plague is upon us, and fighting alone will only put us in greater danger."

That's what he said. Stay connected with My Virtual Library Empire

But in reality, it carried a kind of arrogance unique to people from the company when dealing with other settlements.

Do you think you can withstand the rat plague?

You cannot.

Farmer Liu's face immediately turned sour, and he instinctively wanted to retort that he didn't need any assistance.

"Once the rodent swarm comes, it will definitely be unstoppable."

"And then—"

Hou Shubin smirked, his implication clear without saying it outright, the next water purification plant to fall would be this place.

Even water plants capable of contending with Wanhao District had been eradicated overnight.

What about your farm then?

Leaky from all sides.

If it weren't for the distance from the urban area, the fully mutated corpses alone would have been beyond their ability to deal with.

Seeing that the farm owners had all fallen silent, Big Beard knew it was time to give them a shot of courage.

"Don't worry, the base isn't planning to take advantage of this to devour your resources."

"Whatever is brought over, it's all yours."

"But people are a different story."

Farm owner Liu's eyes flashed, and he immediately asked, "What do you mean by that?"

Big Beard was unfazed and explained slowly:

"To deal with the rodent swarm, all armed personnel must be coordinated by the base. Otherwise, what's the point of cooperation?"

"In other words, you provide the manpower."

"The base provides shelter."

After he finished speaking, he fell silent, just quietly watching the several people opposite him, waiting for their response.

Sure enough, Mr. Liu and the others quickly began to discuss quietly among themselves.

Finally, one of them said with determination, "The conditions seem fair, but how can we trust your ability to ensure our safety?"

Big Beard and Hou Shubin exchanged looks and both smirked softly.

"That's easy."

"You can send someone over to take a look in advance to see what our base is really like."

"And it just so happens there will be a few others who will go with you."

The people inside the room were all startled by this statement, realizing only then that the other party hadn't come into contact with them first.

Had other people gotten on the truck before them?

The vehicles that came with the two men weren't many.

Besides a small troop carrier converted from a cargo truck, the rest were a pickup truck that Big Beard and Hou Shubin rode in, and a Jeep Wrangler that used to be quite common years ago.

There were a total of six people sitting in the vehicles, all of whom were farm owners from the vicinity of Jiangbei District.

They all more or less knew each other.