In order to control the people in the wastelands, the consortiums had long gotten used to having all production resources firmly in their hands. Water resources, land resources, and everything that the people depended on for survival had been controlled.
When Zhang Jinglin was at Stronghold 113, he had once said to Ren Xiaosu meaningfully, "This is a world that has been carefully designed by the consortiums."
In the past, even Zhang Jinglin did not have the courage to break this rule. In fact, Fortress 178 could not even accept all the refugees. That was because if you broke this rule, everyone would gang up on you.
For example, Luoyang City wanted to completely open up the strongholds to the outside world so that there would no longer be a distinction between refugees and stronghold residents. But as soon as the reforms began, they were warned by the Kong Clan, Wang Clan, and Zhou Clan.
In the end, they came up with something like "visas," but there was still a huge gap between the refugees and stronghold residents.
But now, not only did Ren Xiaosu want to carry out land reform, he also wanted to completely tear down the wall between the stronghold residents and refugees in the Northwest.
In fact, Stronghold 144 had already done this. After all, it was impossible to prevent people from entering the city for trade.
Ren Xiaosu said, "I've read a lot of books, but all of this is just theory. That's why we need everyone's collective wisdom and effort. I'm just voicing my thoughts now. As the largest trading stronghold in the Northwest, Stronghold 144 should be more open than other places. The speed of reform should also be faster than other places. Don't be afraid of making mistakes. If there are any, I'll take responsibility for it. "
Big Bluff looked at Ren Xiaosu quietly. He understood Zhang Jinglin's indifferent attitude toward Stronghold 144 the best.
He knew very well that Commander Zhang was doing this because he wanted to see how Ren Xiaosu would lead the people of this city to create a new world.
Perhaps even Ren Xiaosu himself did not realize that while he only wanted to solve the food shortage, what he was doing now had already reached the level of a "roadmap."
Wang Yun thought for a moment and said, "But actually, we still have to discuss the pros and cons of the contracting system. Everyone knew that once this system was implemented, many people would be willing to own their own land, even if it was only for a few decades. But in terms of farming efficiency, this is not conducive to large-scale mechanized production. "
Ren Xiaosu thought for a moment and replied, "I think that now is the time to open up wastelands. There is too much land in the Northwest that needs people to go out and open up. We can divide the development process into stages. At this stage, it is still too early to start large-scale mechanized production, and we do not have the conditions to do so. We have to motivate the farmers and turn the wilderness into farmland first. "
"I agree," Wang Yun said with a nod.
"In this kind of privatization process, we still have to pay attention to the matter of the big players swallowing up the land. Therefore, it's best to impose restrictions on the contract." Wang Yuexi pondered and said, "Moreover, I feel that not only can they contract the land, but they can also contract the brick factory, the workshop, and many other things. But the premise is that the economic lifeline must always be in the hands of Fortress 178. This is a foundation that cannot be shaken. "
Ren Xiaosu's eyes lit up. "Wang Yuexi has hit the nail on the head. Right now, the productivity of our Northwest is still a few notches lower than that of the Central Plains. But if we can mobilize everyone's enthusiasm and take advantage of their profit-seeking nature, perhaps the Northwest will see rapid changes. But everyone, please be aware that when something like the brick factory is privately contracted, it's very likely that there will be extremely bad cases of exploitation. Therefore, the supporting labor laws must also be enacted. "
Off to the side, Yang Xiaojin had been sitting quietly the entire time. She rested her chin on her hand and looked at the side of Ren Xiaosu's face.
In the past, Ren Xiaosu would always hold a book in his hands and read whenever he had free time, even when he was in the wilderness.
Some people felt that reading was useless, but Yang Xiaojin could see the charm of books in Ren Xiaosu. This young refugee had never stopped reading for himself, and it was finally time for him to blossom and bear fruit.
Right now, if she were to ask Wang Yuexi, "Do you believe that Ren Xiaosu used to be a normal refugee who couldn't even afford to go to school?"
Wang Yuexi would probably not believe it.
If Ren Xiaosu had not persevered in reading books and understanding the world, then even if Ren Xiaosu was the strongest in the world, he would not have become the true master of the Northwest. Zhang Jinglin would not have valued a boorish man who only knew how to solve problems with force.
At first, no one understood why Zhang Jinglin had chosen Ren Xiaosu. Only he knew that he saw infinite possibilities in this young man.
When this young man was still a refugee, he was willing to squat on the wall and listen to classes. His thirst for knowledge had once put Zhang Jinglin to shame.
Ren Xiaosu had never stopped on the path of enriching himself.
In the eyes of others, Qing Zhen was a genius with great wisdom. Such a person deserved to shine brightly in this era.
But in Yang Xiaojin's eyes, Ren Xiaosu, a pragmatic young man who firmly believed that hard work could make up for his lack of talent, was even more valuable.
Ren Xiaosu told Wang Yuexi, "The entire Administrative Centre is going to be busy. You have to keep up with the publicity. It's your job to do ideological work for everyone."
Wang Yuexi nodded and wrote down the matter in his notebook. "But there's another problem. Seeds are needed for reclamation. The seed reserves in the Northwest are not enough to support such a large-scale reclamation."
Ren Xiaosu smiled. "You can see the importance of friends now. The Kyung Clan will be delivering the seeds we need in a few days."
Wang Yuexi was stunned. He had long heard that the Young Marshal had a close relationship with the Kyung Clan, but he did not expect it to be true.
Ren Xiaosu continued explaining to Wang Yuexi, "You guys need to improve the labor bill and contracting system as soon as possible. We also need to communicate with Fortress 178's bank. We're going to open up small loans to support the residents' willingness to contract. They'll need money to buy the seeds, and they'll also need money to buy the raw materials after contracting the factories. We have to consider all aspects. "
Wang Fugui chuckled and said, "The Northwest Chamber of Commerce can handle this. We have the money, so why don't we set up our own bank?"
However, Ren Xiaosu shook his head firmly. "We absolutely can't let Yun Su get involved in such matters. You guys can contract something yourself, but don't get involved in matters that involve the economic lifeline of the Northwest. This concerns the entire plan to prosper the Northwest, and the economy can't be hijacked by the merchants. Perhaps the Northwest Chamber of Commerce won't cause any trouble while I'm still around, but you and I will leave this world one day. I can't watch a new consortium be born in my hands. "
There could be wealthy merchants in the land of the Northwest, and this wealthy merchant could even be the richest in the world. However, he must not have the ability to shake the foundation of the Northwest. This was Ren Xiaosu's principle and bottom line.
Wang Yuexi took a deep look at Ren Xiaosu. He knew Yun Su was actually Ren Xiaosu's private property. For him to be able to resist the temptation at a time like this was enough to make Wang Yuexi think highly of him.
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