Chapter 335 - Manpower Allocation

"I take the reports very seriously. That's how I reached my conclusion," Yang He said earnestly.

The "reports" came from Sand—moles planted by Dugu Qiuhun. These operatives were mostly borrowed temporarily from the Army, Navy, and commune membership. Physical requirements: dark skin and thin build. Linguistic requirements: fluency in Cantonese, Fujianese, Jiangxi, or Hubei-Hunan dialects, since refugees hailed predominantly from these regions. To avoid having familiar faces appear repeatedly, the Sand operatives rotated. Each new batch of immigrants had moles mixed in, changing with every cohort. They ate, slept, and lived alongside the refugees, filing regular status reports.

Wu De was blunt. "What can you possibly learn just from listening to reports? How do you know they're not deceiving you?"

"That seems unlikely..."

"See? Getting bureaucratic already. How do you know they won't deceive you?" Wu De pressed. "Subordinates are skilled at reading their superiors' desires. Sometimes, unconsciously, they modify reports to match your preferences. You must go down and see for yourself. Listen with your own ears!"

He took a breath. "As the person in charge here, you should be down there at least two or three times daily. Observe their condition. Small details sometimes reveal large problems. If someone is crying, ask why. If someone is laughing, find out why."

"Understood." Yang He's expression remained indifferent. "I'll make more rounds."

Dugu Qiuhun had another vital task during these visits: population screening. Specifically, investigating refugees who behaved suspiciously or appeared to conceal their identities. Someone claiming to be a tenant farmer but possessing soft, fair skin. Someone with sword and knife scars who insisted he was an ordinary commoner...

According to the "Dangerous Persons Category List" compiled by the Political Security Bureau, Dugu Qiuhun was to watch for infiltrators: spies from the various pirate fleets along the South China coast; agents of provincial and prefectural garrison commands; Zheng Zhilong's operatives; agents of the Eastern Depot and the Embroidered Uniform Guard; and Manchu secret agents. Finally, Ran Yao had specifically requested vigilance against cult infiltration among immigrants, distributing a document prepared by Yu Eshui: "Doctrines and Slang Characteristics of Various Late Ming Cults," cataloguing most sects documented in the historical record.

In short, all suspicious characters had to be screened. Though Wu De acknowledged the importance of this work, he harbored skepticism about its scalability. Now, with intakes of hundreds to a thousand at a time, meticulous screening was feasible. Later, when immigration surged into the tens of thousands, would they still manage this?

The Executive Committee's position, however, was that while numbers remained small, work should be done as thoroughly as possible. These early arrivals would form the backbone of the Transmigration Regime's various sectors. Reliability was paramount.

A fair number of suspicious characters had indeed been identified, though the legendary secret agents never materialized. Instead, they netted escaped criminals, runaway slaves, and deserters. Additionally, some impoverished scholars who felt disgraced by having sold themselves were picked out. Even monks were caught—men who had failed to obtain ordination certificates and, unable to beg or lodge at temples, had fallen to the streets as refugees. Their hair hadn't grown long enough for proper topknots, raising suspicions they might be Tartars.

"How many people are in the camp now?"

"Seven hundred twenty as of nine o'clock this morning," Yang He reported. "One died early this morning."

Wu De stopped walking. "A death?" Deaths typically occurred in the initial intake phase—during detention in Guangzhou, or in the first few days after arrival in Lingao during purification. But this batch was nearly finished with their month. "Cause?"

"Sudden diarrhea. Fever. The camp hygienist couldn't do anything—no anti-diarrheals. By the time I got someone to fetch medicine from the health center, he was already dead. Minister Shi says the cause of death won't be confirmed until after examination." Yang He continued, "I've already sealed that dormitory. No entry or exit permitted. Bleach has been sprinkled throughout."

"Good." Wu De nodded. "The weather is heating up. We must guard against potential epidemics."

"If it goes badly, this could be cholera." He Ma examined the report that had been forwarded. "Very similar symptoms. Was a sample taken?"

"Minister Shi collected one and brought it to the health center for bacterial culture."

"Miserable. Let's hope it's not that." Wu De's voice was heavy with concern.

"If it is, the medical department will be the miserable ones." He Ma sighed. "Why did I ever study medicine?"

His mood darkened further. Summer had arrived, and cholera—endemic to Lingao—was entering its outbreak season. The Transmigration Group's primary source of protein for immigrants was seafood, which carried high bacterial risk. The thought of that reeking seafood processing plant did nothing to reassure him.

They had medicine to cure cholera, but handling a large-scale outbreak would severely strain their capabilities. Moreover, treating cholera patients required rehydration solutions, and reserves were limited. He Ma rubbed his scalp. "The toilet used by people from that dormitory must also be closed," he ordered. "We'll finalize disposal procedures once results are in."

Given this incident, the inspection team paid special attention to sanitation. Finding no other issues, Wu De proceeded to the Quarantine Camp's administrative office. A crowd of representatives from various departments had already gathered. The office was small and the weather hot, so most were squatting in the shade of nearby trees, smoking and chatting. Spotting Wu De's group, they surged forward in a swarm.

"Easy now—let's hold a proper meeting!" Wu De had anticipated this. The current quarantine cohort would complete processing in three or four days. For departments starving for manpower, these seven hundred refugees represented a prize to be divided.

"Yang He, get water for everyone. Make sure it's boiled."

"There's herbal tea, already boiled. Completely hygienic." Yang He sent for a large old-fashioned tea canister, which was placed under the tree shade. Everyone produced personal cups from their belts and drank.

Wu De surveyed the eager representatives—hungry as tigers—and delivered opening remarks: "I know why you're all here. Once a month! Don't bother telling me how difficult your department's situation is, or how vital your work is to the Transmigration Cause. I know all of it!"

This preemptive strike closed off potential complaint sessions. Those who had prepared notebooks and impassioned speeches sat back down reluctantly.

"Manpower is limited. I've reviewed your applications and consulted the Planning Committee regarding departmental progress and labor requirements." He accepted a folder from an assistant and favored the messenger with a slight smile—an indigenous girl, dark-skinned and large-eyed, rather attractive.

"Satisfying everyone completely is impossible." Wu De smiled. "Let's proceed to allocation."

Allocation applied only to males and females over thirteen. Children under thirteen were not counted as labor and would be received directly by the National School under the Ministry of Education.

After purification processing, new immigrants were assigned to Bairen Commune or Bopu Commune, depending on their receiving unit's location. Given the development of the Chemical-Steel Industrial Zone around Bopu Port, the Ministry of Civil Affairs had established Bopu Commune as the local civil administration agency, facilitating access to nearby labor.

The Industrial and Energy Committee secured the largest share, as usual. The Bopu Chemical Plant was about to commence operations and required massive staffing. Establishing mining operations at Hong Gai in Vietnam and Tiandu on Hainan also demanded considerable manpower.

The Ministry of Education obtained the second-largest allocation this time. The Simplified Normal School claimed one hundred sixty male and female teenagers in a single sweep, provoking grumbles from several departments. But after Bai Yu outlined the benefits these trainees would provide upon graduation, the complaints subsided—after all, every department was burdened with the task of delivering cultural education to its own new workers and apprentices.

Lingao Construction Company ranked third with fifty allocations. The company generally relied on dispatched workers from the commune, but as construction volume increased and demand for skilled trades grew, the company had begun building its own corps of full-time indigenous specialists.

The medical department received thirty. With summer approaching and the population expanding, healthcare and epidemic prevention needs were growing rapidly.

Other departments received modest supplements—eight or ten here, three or four there. The Army and Navy got nothing beyond replacements for deaths and disability retirements; no establishment increases. This provoked considerable annoyance. Eventually, after negotiation, it was decided that thirty children currently studying at the National School would be designated "Targeted Students," half for each service. Upon earning Class B Diplomas, they would transfer to the NCO Program at the Military-Political School.

The Internal Affairs Department likewise received no new personnel. First, security bureau staffing and recruitment were not disclosed publicly. Second, Ran Yao, who oversaw police administration, showed little enthusiasm for expansion. From an efficiency standpoint, the Army and Navy sufficed for temporary riot control when not training or working. His current initiative was "Mass Prevention and Control"—meaning security was everyone's responsibility. Don't push everything onto the police.

With personnel allocation complete, Bai Yu announced the restructuring of the Apprentice Corps into the Vocational Technical School.

"Just a name change. For purposes of centralized registration, housing, and management." Bai Yu anticipated objections. "The Ministry of Education is only responsible for students' living arrangements and cultural education. Specific vocational training remains organized by individual departments and enterprises."

"What about the Military-Political School?" The Army and Navy considered this point important.

"Same arrangement," Bai Yu confirmed. "Professional military curricula remain your own responsibility."

"So it's dual leadership? Military school cadets have different requirements from others!"