Oh Henry, Henry

Dennison Henry found that every time he visited the Governor's camp, he was met with a new surprise.

Right now, having finished a business run and returned to meet the Governor, he was accompanying Gu Hang to inspect the newly established synthetic starch production line.

He watched as workers fed decomposed alien monster carcasses, scrap wood left over from construction, and leaves and branches gathered from the nearby woods into the machine. After being crushed, broken down, and reconstructed, the other end of the machine outputted rectangular blocks of starch.

Each block weighed a standard fifty grams, and a few of them were enough to keep an adult from starving.

Even though the raw materials used to produce it looked a bit... strange, Henry still realized the immense value of this technology.

Toxic alien monster carcasses, wood waste, weeds with extremely low nutritional value, old clothes, rags... these things that were originally of negligible value could be transformed into precious food for the wasteland through this machine.

So what if the raw materials were disgusting? When people are starving to death, who cares about that?

This was legitimate food, carbohydrates with high caloric content.

Wasn't this much better than finding wild vegetables, weeds, or bugs and boiling them into a thin, watery porridge mixed with a little grain?

Henry pinched his nose and tried a piece himself.

The taste... it could be said to have no taste at all, like eating plaster powder, with at most a hint of faint sweetness after the starch was simply broken down by saliva, and a touch of saltiness.

But as the saying went, these problems were not problems in the wasteland.

Never mind the starvation-level environment of the wasteland; even in the Imperial Astra Militarum or the Imperial Navy, when supplies were not smooth, a large portion of food rations were still provided through "corpse starch." Who was higher and mightier than whom?

This was terrifying technology.

Henry's eyes were wide with shock as he said, "Incredible, I..."

Before he could finish, Gu Hang raised a hand to interrupt him: "Don't talk about it, I just brought you here to take a look."

"Uh..."

Henry's face flushed with embarrassment.

But he quickly understood that he would never be able to get this part of the business, especially the production line and the technology, from the Governor.

In a sense, this technology had the potential to change the entire world; its significance was immense.

He could only feel regret, coupled with a firmer resolve to cling tightly to the Governor's coattails.

After touring the newly established synthetic starch production line, Gu Hang took Henry to his office.

Having just completed a business deal, Henry had quite a few things to report to Gu Hang.

Sitting before the Governor, Henry was somewhat reserved: "This time, I have not failed the mission. The Alloy Plasteel caused a sensation among material merchants in Revival City. In the past, this material only trickled out in small quantities from Blackbird Heavy Industries, and they controlled it very strictly. Now that there is another channel, those merchants are very happy, and our goods are selling very well."

"I have basically exchanged for everything you wanted. The generator sets using Thermal Ash Stone should be enough to build a small power plant, and I have also mobilized my connections in Trash Town to procure a batch of Thermal Ash Stone. The textile machines are also enough to set up a production line. Our porridge shop propaganda stations have recruited over two thousand refugees in one go..."

"However, there has been some turmoil in Revival City recently, which has affected our prices. The Alliance Council has gone crazy, conducting city-wide purges of cultist heretics. Many people have been implicated, causing widespread panic. I heard that a councilor in charge of food supplies was discovered to have colluded with a cult, and it is said... it is said that you, Governor, were the one who got angry?"

Henry paused and stole a glance at Gu Hang. Seeing no answer to this question, he understood—that was a tacit admission, right? Perhaps the person was even taken out by the Governor himself.

He continued: "This matter has caused a huge stir, and all of Revival City is in chaos. Moreover, now that the councilor is finished, the grain trading industry he controlled has also fallen into disorder, which has led to instability in the entire market. If not for this, our Alloy Plasteel could have sold for an even better price."

"But it's not bad now. Revival City is the largest market in the vicinity. Not only does it have a strong consumption capacity for various raw materials, but more importantly, it is the core trade hub connecting multiple forces and regions. I have reached long-term agreements with many agents; they can absorb a large output, so there is no worry about sales."

"In addition, the bulletproof vests we sold have been even more popular in Trash Town. That stuff can actually withstand a bullet from a Greenskin! Our products are now a total hit in Trash Town! Recently, the activity range of those Greenskin beasts has been increasing, and scavengers and adventurers are clashing with them more frequently. Firearms and bulletproof equipment are now the best-selling items."

"This is an opportunity, Governor. I don't dare ask for exclusive agency rights for everything, but if you are willing to grant me the exclusive sales rights for the armored vests, it would be a huge help for me to secure the position of Agent in Trash Town! Only then can I better serve you!"

After reporting a pile of situations—mainly to claim credit—Dennison Henry still couldn't help but mention the exclusive authorization he had been thinking about.

In his view, Governor, you asked me to prove my loyalty, so I've done enough this time, right?

The supplies and equipment you wanted, I found ways to get for you; the population you wanted to lure, I paid out of my own pocket to bring to you.

Is this not enough to prove my loyalty?

You aren't willing to give me full authorization for the Alloy Plasteel line, but giving me the exclusive for the bulletproof vests shouldn't be too much to ask, right?

"Henry, oh Henry..." Gu Hang murmured his name, "Should I say you are smart, or stupid?"

"I... I don't understand?"

"You are so smart that you are expressing to me that you have achieved merit and made contributions. You are also expressing your loyalty, saying that you will do more and better in the future, hoping to get exclusive authorization from me. You are worried that since you opened up the sales channels for materials and bulletproof armor, more merchants will come to me to do the same business, making it so you can no longer profit from this exclusive deal."

Speaking to this point, although he claimed to be praising his intelligence, Dennison Henry only felt awkward.

What Gu Hang said was indeed everything he had been thinking, and it wasn't that hard to guess.

But...

Who says things so directly like that? Where does that leave my face?

He didn't speak, but Gu Hang continued: "But you are also so stupid that you cannot see the essence of the matter. The production capacity of Alloy Plasteel is not high, and expanding the scale takes time. Now and in the near future, you will be able to absorb all the goods, so what are you worried about?"

"Are you worried that if you are unwilling to work for me wholeheartedly later, I will replace you with a better collaborator?"

"Are you worried that you won't be able to manipulate the prices of goods at will, and that your future profits will be restricted by me?"

"Are you worried that you won't be able to make me constantly rely on you, and that you won't be able to become the master behind the Governor in the future?"

"Henry, oh Henry, tell me, are these the things you are worried about?"