Arnold observed Alice's expression, and for the first time, he saw a hint of worry in her eyes. Her brows were furrowed. Was that guy named Einar really that difficult to deal with?
How could Alice not worry? He was the original male lead, with a strong plot armor, the kind that laughs and survives until the end. However, she quickly regained her composure. After all, Beryl was the original female lead, and Alice had dealt with her.
"So, are we leaving?" Blanche glanced at her three sons, who shook their heads in uncertainty, and then turned to look at her daughter.
"Let's go, but not in a hurry. Let's see what Einar wants to do first," Alice thought for a moment.
The family's plan was temporarily put on hold, and life continued as usual.
Meanwhile, Einar gathered all the gang leaders together, and upon careful calculation, there were surprisingly more than fifty people.
The man furrowed his sword-like brows. Collaboration was possible, but with so many people, chaos was inevitable.
Einar raised his hand and knocked on the table, two men distributing a thick stack of papers to everyone. He spoke in a deep voice, "Since we're going to cooperate, you need to fill out this form to provide basic information."
Some of the men below were impatient, but they still picked up their pens and started writing. Fortunately, the form didn't have too many questions – names, ages, the number of subordinates, and whether they had guns or not.
Some answered truthfully, but weapons details were kept secret. Some just scribbled nonsense, attending the meeting for the sake of it.
Einar, being young, was perceived as relying on a few people and a couple of guns.
Soon, the completed forms were collected, and Einar conducted a selection in front of them. Those with less than thirty subordinates were excluded from joint governance.
The eliminated forms were tossed into the trash bin, leaving only twenty sheets behind. Einar handed the forms to the person beside him and indifferently said, "Read out the names of those who remain."
Others looked at him in confusion as Einar's subordinates took the forms and began reading the names aloud."Duncan, Anthony, Dixon, and others, you can stay. Those whose names weren't called can leave," Einar announced.
"What do you mean by this, Mr. Einar?" The remaining thirty-plus individuals wore displeased expressions, feeling blatantly looked down upon.
Einar sat upright, fingers interlaced on the tabletop. He glanced at the person who spoke and said indifferently, "I don't keep idle people. I'm sorry; you're not within my consideration. Please leave."
"You..."
"If you want to go, just go. Who cares," one of them stood up and left first. The others snorted and walked away, unwilling to endure this humiliation.
Only twenty people remained in the room. They exchanged glances, speculating on Einar's intentions.
"Since we're going to govern together, having too many people is obviously not suitable. Those eliminated just now had too few subordinates. The ones present are the influential figures in the base. You can get to know each other," Einar said with a serious expression, showing clear organization in his actions.
No one dared to underestimate him anymore; the playful expressions on their faces also subdued a bit.
"Mr. Einar, what kind of governance do you have in mind? We need specific divisions, positions, and how much resources do you plan to provide us?" A bald man raised his foot onto the table, hands behind his neck, leaning back in his chair, and casually asked.
Having spent many years in the military, Einar detested those lacking discipline the most. However, considering it was the first day and the specific regulations had not been discussed, he did not make an issue of it, but his expression grew colder.
"Everyone here has a position. As for the hierarchy, it depends on your strength."In summary, the more subordinates and weapons one had in the base, the higher their status.
"What if we don't want to govern together?" A middle-aged man spoke up.
Those who remained silent were all watching the drama unfold. Everyone wanted to rule the base, and why should Einar Scott come in and become the leader while they became his subordinates?There's a saying, "A strong dragon cannot suppress a local snake." As long as they unite, dealing with Einar would be a piece of cake.
"I advise you to think twice. As I said, I have resources!"
People die for wealth, and birds die for food. Without providing enough sustenance, their subordinates could betray them in an instant. Everyone present was clever enough; there was no need for too many explicit words. Being too direct would not be pleasing to anyone's face.
As expected, no one spoke. They had attracted so many followers for a reason – the lure of resources and the need for weapons. Robberies were rampant recently, and to avoid retaliation, joining a powerful group with abundant weapons was necessary.
Einar, with his extraordinary demeanor and thunderous methods, led disciplined troops. Clearly, they couldn't match up.
Direct confrontation was obviously not the best approach. If things went south, they might lose the right to even sit and talk.
After weighing the pros and cons in their minds, the leaders of the two largest factions stood up. "Mr. Einar, we all want peace in the base. We've decided to follow you."
"Mr. Einar, a young talent with both literary and military skills, and a unique vision. I believe you can lead our base towards peace and restore its former prosperity."
The leaders of the most powerful factions were won over. Others, seeing the trend, abandoned their observation stance and chose to follow the big shots.
People stood up one after another, and flattering words echoed in the room.
Einar was pleased with their choices but treated their various praises as if he hadn't heard them. "Very well, thank you for your trust. Now, let the first assessment begin."
Everyone in the room was momentarily stunned. What was this about? An assessment?
"You didn't hear wrong. It's indeed an assessment. As I mentioned, the ranking of positions will be determined by your strength," Einar explained, seeing the confusion in their eyes. "Those who left just now might not have many subordinates individually, but if they unite, they could still cause chaos. So, for the first assessment, the ranking will be based on the number of factions you take over."
Duncan asked, "Are smaller factions with even fewer members in the base considered in the ranking?"
"Yes," Einar nodded. "I'll give you two days."
Whispers and murmurs broke out among the people below.