Culture and Propaganda Department

After the meeting, everyone left to carry out their orders, and the meeting room quickly became empty. However, Karl called out to Edgar, the steward, who was about to leave to get busy.

"Edgar, wait a moment, there's something I need you to pay special attention to." Karl's voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable emphasis.

Edgar stopped and turned around respectfully, asking, "Sir, what are your orders?"

"There's something I need you to pay special attention to and get done as soon as possible. It concerns... that young man named Tommy."

"Tommy?" Edgar thought for a moment, then quickly recognized the name. "Is he the young soldier who performed exceptionally well in the early recruitment of refugees and later encountered misfortune in Jialan Village?"

"It was him," Karl affirmed. "During this trip to the South, he not only completed the initial propaganda mission, but also demonstrated courage, resilience, and organizational skills far exceeding those of ordinary soldiers in the subsequent unexpected crises and 'special operations.' It can be said that he played an indispensable role in our ability to bring back the refugees."

Karl elaborated, as if to give Edgar a more comprehensive understanding of the young man. "I specifically learned about his experiences in detail. He returned to his hometown of Jialan Village to secretly mobilize his family. His plans were meticulous, and he was quite eloquent, successfully persuading his childhood friends and family."

"However, the plan was unexpectedly leaked, and the local village chief, along with other forces, launched a crackdown. His mother, sister, and the entire family of the friends he had mobilized were arrested and severely tortured. He himself was also surrounded and barely escaped with his life."

He paused, his tone becoming even more solemn. "Even so, under the immense pressure of being slightly injured and the unknown fate of his family and friends, he did not break down or give up. Instead, with unwavering willpower, he fled all the way to Fran City to deliver the news to me."

"Furthermore, in the subsequent clearing, trial, and relocation efforts, they once again demonstrated exceptional action and charisma, ultimately helping us not only rescue his family and friends but also successfully bring out a large number of oppressed people from Jialan Village and the surrounding area."

"Such composure under pressure, perseverance, and excellent communication and organizational skills are extremely rare among ordinary soldiers."

Karl looked at Edgar and stated his well-considered decision. "With his talent and temperament, it would be a waste of his abilities to remain in the military as a regular soldier charging into battle, or even if he were to be promoted to sergeant in the future. The army needs brave warriors, but a healthy and developing territory also needs people who are good at governing and uniting people."

Edgar, as an experienced head of the Interior, immediately grasped Karl's meaning. He tentatively asked, "Does Your Excellency mean... that you intend to transfer him from the military system to... cultivate and appoint him in civil affairs?"

"That's right." Karl nodded firmly, his mind clear. "His ability to recruit, mobilize, and persuade people, as well as his capacity to connect with the grassroots and gain their trust, is exactly what we in Carnford desperately need at this stage."

"We need more people to tell the outside world what Carnford is like, to attract those who are still watching or suffering; we also need to make those who are already here more united and feel a greater sense of belonging."

He proposed a specific idea. "Edgar, you can start planning as soon as possible to establish a new functional department within the existing administrative structure. We can temporarily call it the ' Culture and Propaganda Division,' or more directly, the ' Guidance Office.'"

He elaborated on the functions and vision of the new department. "This department will first and foremost be responsible for external 'publicity,' not false boasting, but truthful, powerful, and targeted communication."

"We must publicize our heroic deeds in defending our home in Carnford, the fair laws of the Lord's Residence, the preferential policies for clearing and redistributing land, and the overall atmosphere of opportunity and hope here through various channels, whether it is a 'living advertisement' passed down by word of mouth or simple printed notices and brochures."

"Even in the future, when conditions permit, we can establish contact points in important towns such as Fran City to spread the word and attract more refugees, artisans, merchants, and even people of insight."

"Secondly, and perhaps even more importantly, is the work within the community," Karl emphasized, "we need to strengthen the cohesion among the people through sustained, subtle efforts, and reinforce their sense of identity as ' Carnford People.'"

"We can organize regular gatherings to explain the policies of the territory, tell stories of heroes, and commend hardworking role models; we can post illustrated notices in public places in villages, Tunbao, and fortified villages to popularize legal knowledge, hygiene knowledge, and farming techniques."

"We could even organize talented individuals to compose simple, catchy, and easy-to-sing songs or storytelling segments about important policies or events, allowing these principles to resonate with people through entertainment."

He looked further ahead. "In normal times, this department can also take on some basic 'educational' functions, such as setting up simple 'literacy classes' in various Tunbao, and hiring literate teachers to teach children and even interested adults basic reading, writing and arithmetic during the off-season or at night."

"Even knowing just a few hundred words and being able to do simple accounting has immeasurable long-term benefits for improving the overall quality of the population, facilitating administration, and even promoting future industrial development."

"And Tommy," Karl steered the conversation back to the main point, "I want to put him in this newly established department as one of the first key members, and even one of the future leaders, to be groomed for leadership roles."

"He is young, energetic, and approachable. He has experienced the hardships of the lower classes and has witnessed how we turned the tide. His story itself is convincing. This arrangement allows him to avoid the bloodshed on the front lines while fully utilizing his strengths to make a greater and more unique contribution to the territory."

"For his mother, who had just escaped a life of hardship, and his young sister, this was a more stable and promising guarantee, a decent outcome."

Karl's considerations were comprehensive, taking into account both the talent needs for the development of the territory and the personal qualities and family circumstances of the meritorious officials, demonstrating both humanistic concern and political wisdom.

Edgar listened intently, his eyes gleaming.