Chapter 14: The Meeting - The First Grouping
Xiao Zishan had focused his search on the small coastal cities. After two weeks of scouting, he found a county maritime militia training base and rented it.
The base, a relic of the “every citizen a soldier” era, had been abandoned for years. It was nestled in a hilly region, surrounded by mountains on three sides, with a small port for sea training. The only road in was poorly maintained.
It was remote, with few prying eyes. The facilities—barracks, warehouses, a training ground—were dilapidated but usable. The county’s People’s Armed Forces Department, desperate to offload the property, offered a low rent. The only condition was that they retain the two retired workers who served as gatekeepers. Xiao Zishan readily agreed. The men worked in week-long shifts, and aside from watching the gate and sweeping, they kept to themselves.
He hired a cleaning company to scrub the base from top to bottom, and a renovation company to fix the broken glass and clogged pipes. The base, being a reserve barracks, was still reasonably well-equipped. After a thorough cleaning and a few additions, it was ready for occupancy.
The Transmigration Company relocated. The Guangzhou office was kept on, as it was the company’s registered address.
With the base established, the first batch of core personnel began to arrive. They were specialists in various fields, hand-picked by Wen Desi after months of online vetting.
Many arrived skeptical, convinced it was a scam.
But when they saw the piles of cash, the Ming Dynasty porcelain, and the shimmering, otherworldly light of the wormhole, their doubts vanished.
Some fled, unable to process the reality of it all.
Some lingered for a few days, then left.
Others were consumed by an irrepressible excitement and threw themselves into the project with a fervent passion.
And some remained calm, simply registering, settling in, and getting to work.
The core of the transmigration organization was beginning to take shape.
To facilitate management, the committee convened a plenary meeting of all assembled personnel to restructure the organization.
The question of their future political system was tabled for a later date. Not all the participants had arrived, and it was too early to establish a formal power structure. The purpose of this meeting was simply to create an administrative framework.
The meeting was held in the base’s large conference room. The tables and chairs were old, but serviceable. Xiao Zishan even found a cabinet full of porcelain teacups, a welcome alternative to disposable paper cups. The only new addition was a whiteboard.
He took out a recording pen and tested it.
“I propose manual recording,” a young woman said. “Transcribing meeting minutes is a pain. I type fast with Wubi. I’ll do it.”
“You are?” Xiao Zishan asked, not recognizing her. She was thin and small, not beautiful, but with an athletic build.
“I’m Li Yiwo’s girlfriend, Li Yuanyuan. I was a secretary. Meeting minutes are a piece of cake.”
Xiao Zishan knew Li Yiwo. He was another machinist, a fanatical gun nut, a friend of Zhan Wuya, and a man of few words. He was probably only here for the chance to build guns without restriction.
And this young woman had followed him. “To the ends of the earth,” it seemed, was not just a phrase. A pang of jealousy shot through Xiao Zishan.
“Alright, but let’s keep the recording pen on as well.”
Li Yuanyuan opened a netbook, typed in the date and time, and looked at Xiao Zishan. “Please begin.”
He cleared his throat. “Although we all know each other, this is the first time we have gathered together. I will first announce the rules of the meeting.
“We will discuss each topic on the agenda one by one. No deviations.
“The meeting may be long. You may leave for topics that do not concern you, but only after a topic is finished and before a new one begins, or during a designated break.
“After each topic, I will ring a bell. You will have three minutes to re-enter the room before the next topic begins.
“Raise your hand to speak. You may only begin after being recognized.
“Remarks must be directed at the issue, not at other speakers.
“That is all.” He smiled. “Now, let’s ask Chief Wen to introduce the current progress of our preparations.”
Chief Wen stood, and all eyes turned to him.
He gave a brief overview of the wormhole, their trade with the Ming, and the profits they had made. As soon as he finished, a hand shot up.
“My name is Jin Keshou. I suggest we stop selling porcelain. I know a little about the antiques circle. It’s a small world. If we continue to sell, the entire country will know in a matter of days. It’s a security risk. We could alert the cultural relics protection units.”
Wen Desi leaned forward, concerned. “What do you suggest?”
“Medicinal materials,” he said. “Many traditional Chinese medicinal materials are extremely rare now, and their prices are very high. Rhinoceros horn, natural bezoar, musk…”
“Let’s forget about rhinoceros horn,” someone interjected. “That will definitely attract the authorities. But precious spices… that’s a possibility.”
“Alright, suggestion accepted. We’ll try it in the next trade.”
“The next topic is industry. Let’s start with energy…” Xiao Zishan was saying, when Ma Qianzhu raised his hand. “What is it?”
“Should we first establish an administrative structure? Divide into professional groups? It would make the discussion more efficient.”
“I agree,” said Wang Luobin.
“Then first is the Agriculture Group,” a sturdy man said, standing up. “I am Wu Nanhai, a graduate of XX Agricultural University. Food is our primary concern.”
“Alright, Agriculture Group.” Xiao Zishan wrote it on the whiteboard.
“Industrial Group!” “Transportation Group!” “Geology Department!” “Ministry of Railways!” “Highway Bureau!” “Transmigration Mobile!” “Aviation Committee!” “Military Group!” “Ministry of the Army!” “Ministry of the Navy!” “Chengguan Bureau!” “Cheka!” “NDRC!”
…
The grouping was descending into farce. Xiao Zishan had to intervene.
“Alright, alright. The purpose of grouping is for the preparation work. We can worry about the organizational structure of our new society later. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.” He smiled. “We haven’t even transmigrated yet. Let’s not get into the business of getting promoted and rich just yet.”
Everyone laughed. After a while, they had formed eight professional groups: Industry, Agriculture, Construction, Energy, Communications, Sports, IT, and Intelligence/Data. Two support groups were also established: General Affairs and Procurement.
Each group elected a leader, and the leaders formed a temporary executive committee, which would meet once a week.
Wen Desi was, unsurprisingly, elected chairman. Zhan Wuya was nominated to lead the Industrial Group, after Wang Luobin declined.
No one wanted to lead the General Affairs Group. It was a thankless job, managing daily life and personnel matters. In a normal company, there would be perks, but here, any money saved would just be contributed to the collective.
Xiao Zishan gave Wen Desi a subtle nod. Wen Desi nominated him, and he got the job.
It was a strategic move. Xiao Zishan had no professional skills to speak of. The preparation stage would be a time for the tech-savvy to shine. This position would keep him in the management layer, giving him a valuable political advantage in the future.
To avoid any appearance of impropriety, he suggested the establishment of a separate accounting group, directly under the committee, responsible for revenue, appropriation, and auditing.
With the groups formed, the room descended into a chaotic shuffle of chairs as people rearranged themselves. The newly appointed group leaders looked around, a sense of self-importance already settling upon them.
The General Affairs Group was, predictably, a women’s army, composed of the girlfriends and wives of the technical core members, and one auntie, the mother of a female technician. The heart of a parent, it seemed, knew no bounds.
Xiao Zishan felt a headache coming on. How was he to manage this army of women, all of them “other people’s women”? He made a mental note to be very, very careful.