Free Web NovelChapter 196: Chapter 196
Chapter 196
Of course, since Mu Heng had started this discussion, he still had much more to say. After glancing around once, he looked at the fruits in the basket again.
"Humans are like this. Everyone tends to fear what they don’t know. However, if no one dares to be the first to try, they will never discover that such good fruit exists, right?"
Mu Heng spoke while picking up another fruit to eat. His expression remained calm, but his eyes looked at Keos with satisfaction.
"I don’t know what Red Earth City was like before. But as the new governor, I admire people who have such courage. Besides, I don’t know who you are. When I first took office, I never met or established relationships with any of you. However, seeing everyone here today surprises me greatly. Still, as the governor of Red Earth City, I warmly welcome you all."
Mu Heng spoke with an unchanged expression, even as he mentioned their distant relationship and implied that they were here solely for the benefits he could provide. If Red Earth City didn’t have the medicine to help them, what would their relationship be like? Would it be as good as it is today?
It seemed as though Red Earth City had become a delicious fruit revealed to everyone, so they lined up to approach. This implication made the faces of the tribal representatives turn pale. Initially, they did not want to show any weakness that could be exploited. Unexpectedly, before they could say anything, Mu Heng had already used this welcoming opportunity to address them.
"I am Mu Heng from Red Earth City. Previously, I was just an ordinary villager and not skilled in being indirect. I’ll be straightforward. Your purpose in coming here today is surely related to the medicine, correct?"
"If so, I must apologize for disappointing you. This Red Earth City doesn’t have abundant resources to produce medicine. Even the capital of the Bai Regions struggles. Even if we had enough medicine, we couldn’t extend our help right now. I hope you understand."
Being rejected so directly, everyone’s faces were filled with disappointment. They had come as representatives of their tribes, with the lives of many people depending on them. If they returned without having tried their best, they would likely be executed by their people.
"We understand this well. However, the lives of everyone in our tribe depend on this. We cannot return empty-handed. You, the governor of Red Earth City, have developed this city so magnificently with great difficulty for your people. Therefore, I believe you must be very compassionate. Moreover, you mentioned that you were once an ordinary villager. You should understand the hardships of life, right?" One of the tribal leaders shook his head. He truly could not accept this.
"We do not wish to create difficulties for you. However, Red Earth City and our tribes are closely connected. If this cooperation goes well, I believe you will gain many benefits."
"Our tribe has excellent horses that Red Earth City has never had before. So, we believe you should reconsider these advantages."
Many voiced their opinions, but Mu Heng just shook his head.
"Cooperation has been the desire of Red Earth City for a long time. We understand its importance well. However, in the past, Red Earth City did not receive any cooperation, so we had to stand on our own. I believe my people in Red Earth City would not want to help you at all. Do you agree?" Mu Heng swirled the tea in his cup.
The young man glanced around, seeing many townspeople secretly watching their conversation. Just this was enough to realize that this negotiation was definitely not supported.
When the townspeople saw the governor looking their way, they jumped in surprise. Some pretended to trim bushes, while others cleaned areas devoid of leaves. This display made Mu Heng shake his head.
Their prejudice against the tribes was strong. There had been frequent conflicts before, and they essentially saw each other as enemies. So, when they saw these tribal representatives asking to see the governor, they immediately felt reluctant.
Previously, everyone appreciated how well the governor handled people from other cities. The fact that the governor protected the rights of the people of Red Earth City earned their admiration. However, everyone knew that cooperating with the surrounding tribes was the desire of the Bai Regions. The governor might have received orders as well, and it was highly likely that this cooperation would happen. Their governor might provide medicine to these tribes in exchange for some form of cooperation.
In comparison, they felt that the governor helping people from other cities within the Bai Regions was still better than helping the tribes. These people had fought against them directly, and these battles had life-threatening consequences.
The people from the other tribes understood this truth as well. They had always seen the expressions of the people of Red Earth City. The prejudice they had against each other was very strong. Previously, it didn’t seem like a problem, except now that their tribe was in trouble.
"Governor of Red Earth City, I also agree with the sentiments of your people," Keos, who had been listening for a long time, finally spoke up.
He didn’t oppose what Mu Heng had said. On the contrary, he accepted it seriously. This problem, no matter how much they wanted to hide it, couldn’t be concealed. Additionally, the tribes and the people of the Bai Regions had never been on friendly terms. It was impossible for them to willingly help outsiders.
"Hmm?" Mu Heng raised an eyebrow, looking at the other party. He didn’t say much, allowing Keos to explain his thoughts further."Providing assistance isn’t right at all. From the perspective of the governor, if you extend help to us, you will only bring trouble upon yourself. Moreover, speaking of fairness, it’s not right either. If we talk about people dying, you can still help other cities’ people within the Bai Regions. It doesn’t have to be just the tribes. I understand this as well," Keos expressed his feelings. freёwebnovel.com
This was a fact everyone knew, but the various representatives didn’t want to accept it. So, when Keos spoke, their eyes widened. Many tried to interrupt, but Keos didn’t let them. He spoke his opinion to the end, and of course, everyone’s faces turned dark green at this point.
"Keos, what do you mean by saying this!" Those who were angry managed to keep their emotions in check, but when Keos’ brother saw him like this, he stood up. If it weren’t for the many people around, he might have jumped up and strangled him on the spot.
Due to the dissatisfaction between them and the escalating power struggle, the elder brother assumed that Keos was deliberately trying to sabotage this cooperation. If this negotiation succeeded, at the very least, he would gain more recognition than others as the leader of this delegation. When people mentioned this event, they would mention his name.
Because he had felt before that if the other party succeeded in this negotiation, the leadership position would immediately become his, he thought others would feel the same.
He didn’t question why Keos was acting this way or care about what the other party was trying to achieve. Even with the governor of Red Earth City and the other tribal representatives present, he should openly oppose the other party. At least this way, he wouldn’t gather all the hatred upon himself if the negotiations failed.
"Brother, please calm down. What I said is a fact that everyone knows well," Keos softened his tone. His voice was soft, but full of coaxing.
Of course, Keos had anticipated that bringing his two brothers would make things more complicated, which was why he initially didn’t want them to come. Unexpectedly, his eldest brother had eavesdropped on their meeting and found out about this.
"How is it well-known?! By saying that, you’re making it seem like the governor of Red Earth City is selfish, only seeing the Bai Regions in his eyes. You must understand that while helping people from the Bai Regions is important, the urgency of aid differs. Some in the Bai Regions might still be fighting off the disease and are strong, while the people from the tribes are weak and dying. So, if someone dying is right in front of you, a compassionate governor would want to help those in the most desperate need first."
The middle-aged man quickly spoke, bringing the conversation back to the negotiation and taking the opportunity to harshly criticize Keos.
"Compassion? Sacrifice? What is your name, master? You are quite skilled at saying absurd things," Mu Heng chuckled dryly.
He wasn’t foolish enough not to understand that the other party was trying to pressure him. If he didn’t help those dying before him, he would be seen as a cruel, merciless, and heartless person, devoid of compassion and respect. However, those words didn’t matter to him at all. Mu Heng wasn’t afraid, especially as he looked at his beautiful wife who had endured scorn all her life. He felt no fear at all.
It was just words from people. If words could fill his stomach or make his wife happy, then he would care about them.
"Dear, this meeting should not be prolonged. Tomorrow, we must depart for the capital, and there are still many tasks to handle today."
Yueqian pretended to look at the time board she had someone build as a central clock tower in the village. The tall tower used the movement of sand to tell time. When the sand reached a certain point, a large needle would move. Every hour, this mechanism would activate.
Thus, it provided a very accurate time. Every day at 8:00 AM, someone would reset it to start anew, so the time would begin at 8:00 and return to the same point before stopping. This clever device made it easier for people to tell the time. Now, this tower stood in the center of the city, easily visible to everyone.
At first, people didn’t understand how to read the time, but soon they realized it was a very precise tool. When it was time, they would stop working and go home to rest. After practicing for a long time, they became fond of reading the time.
The soldiers also cooperated by ringing a bell every hour, passing the signal along. Although the time lagged a bit due to the relay system reaching the outskirts of the city, it wasn’t much of an issue. Whenever they heard the signal, they would keep track of the time in their minds. At 5:00 PM, everyone would hear a special signal, one they eagerly awaited.
Seeing Yueqian’s gaze directed at the peculiar-looking tall tower, everyone else looked too, but they didn’t understand its purpose or benefits. Their lack of knowledge made them feel foolish, but Mu Heng and Yueqian paid no attention to their expressions. She simply closed her notebook, as it seemed nothing had been recorded during today’s conversation."Thank you for reminding me about this. Alright... I must take my leave now. Everyone, please rest as you see fit. There are guest rooms available for visitors. You can either leave or stay, but if you stay, I must inform you that my wife and I have to travel to the capital and won’t be able to continue discussions with you," Mu Heng stood up to his full height.
